Microgaming - What a mess!!!!

[vinylweatherman]

Brilliant, 4 new games and 2 more dead casinos for me.

Music Hall and UK Casino Club have now stopped working alltogether. Music Hall just didn't have the new games & support told me to uninstall it and reinstall from the new download - now it's broken completely. What are those inept fools at Microgaming doing about it? How long are they going to rest on their laurels as fewer and fewer of their casinos work properly? Are they going to release the repair kit they did for Fortune Lounge more widely?
The fortune lounge kit didn't work though, so perhaps not. Annoyingly, I have money that I can no longer get at.
Does anyone at Microgaming have a clue? This rule that their employees can't play the casinos has a negative side, they never experience these issues.

 

[GrandMaster]

Brilliant, 4 new games and 2 more dead casinos for me.

Music Hall and UK Casino Club have now stopped working alltogether. Music Hall just didn't have the new games & support told me to uninstall it and reinstall from the new download - now it's broken completely. What are those inept fools at Microgaming doing about it? How long are they going to rest on their laurels as fewer and fewer of their casinos work properly? Are they going to release the repair kit they did for Fortune Lounge more widely?
The fortune lounge kit didn't work though, so perhaps not. Annoyingly, I have money that I can no longer get at.
Does anyone at Microgaming have a clue? This rule that their employees can't play the casinos has a negative side, they never experience these issues.

If you just want to get your money back, you can always use the flash casino. I am surprised that so many people are having problems. I always had cheap generic PCs and I only had a problem with a casino once, VIP casino was using 99% of CPU time, but it got resolved quickly.

 

[vinylweatherman]

MG

Flash is an option, yes.
My biggest gripe is the lack of action on the part of MG in resolving this. It seems that not all are affected, so something must be different in the way the broken ones interact with the servers to cause this. It is the first time I have had this problem with the full install version, where it should not need to download the games in the first place. The 4 others I have in this group updated really smoothly. Without access to any source material or manuals, how do they expect users to address these problems themselves - believe me I have tried and I know a fair bit about computers.
I would like to know what EXACTLY the casinos slip in on installation, I suspect that some slip in more than they say, and cause these problems either for their own, or other, casinos. I saw one complaint about Java slipped in with one MG causing it to fail. If I knew what was with the casino I would know what to look for when diagnosing faults. The "Help" available to users is poor when it comes to these issues as it is pretty basic. I have temporary custody of a new XP machine, and there are problems here too (not necessarily the same ones though), so it's nothing to do with my PC being too old.
I have asked whether the configuration of my connection could be a factor, but MG don't have a clue what settings are OK, they say it should work on all connections if I disable my Firewall & Virus software.
Microsoft have admitted to screwing up with a patch, but say it's fixed and would have affected very few users - I have downloaded this fix and got rid of the original bad patch to no avail. I have reinstalled Internet Explorer from scratch too! I have tried making Netscape the default browser, no luck!
Worse, Music Hall are sponsoring SlotJunkies - and now I can't play that one till it's fixed.

 

[GrandMaster]

The "Help" available to users is poor when it comes to these issues as it is pretty basic.

This reminds me of my ISP, whose solution to every problem is to delete cookies and temporary internet files.

 

[vinylweatherman]

EUREKA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have solved the problem of the infinitely looping MG launcher!!!!!!!

I am now in Music Hall again!!!!!!

I will see if it works in the other screwed up casinos or just this one!!!

 

[paul02085]

I remember bitching about MG software as far back as 2001 and it still is a pain in the u know where. I agree that the amazing thing is that they still havent fixed it. You would think with all the money they have made they could get the problem resolved, but nooooo.

 

[Ivy29]

Problems

What is so strange to me is that it's not just one or two problems everyone is having, but a whole bunch of different symptoms.

I got a CD from Ruby Fortune, and it installed up to the screen with the 100% lines and just hangs, never loads.

The only one that I could download from the internet and install and run was the Bellrock one that I intalled from a link the rep left here. Saw 40 games I'd never seen before! But, it still won't download the new additions. That problem is universal for me, and has been since March.

I know someone who hasn't had a problem ever, went to reinstall a casino and got the dreaded loop, so if you get that figured out, Vinyl, I'm sure she'd appreciate knowing the fix. As expected, they have given her the song and dance list to try to fix it, but I'm not sure she's gotten it to work yet.

 

[twiddles]

I have solved the problem of the infinitely looping MG launcher!!!!!!!

I am now in Music Hall again!!!!!!

I will see if it works in the other screwed up casinos or just this one!!!

May I ask how you solved it?

 

[max1mike]

ivy. sounds like you may have an issue with your firewall/anti-virus S/W.

many times i try to launch an MG casino and it stalls, i go check and the process is being killed by my anti-virus proggy.

simply go allow it to connect to the net and set your preferences to continue to allow it, you should have no problems getting the new games.

then again, im a carpenter, so what the heck do i know from computers

 

[twiddles]

ivy. sounds like you may have an issue with your firewall/anti-virus S/W.

many times i try to launch an MG casino and it stalls, i go check and the process is being killed by my anti-virus proggy.

simply go allow it to connect to the net and set your preferences to continue to allow it, you should have no problems getting the new games.

then again, im a carpenter, so what the heck do i know from computers

I have tried everything! Even the useless clearing cookies and all that rubbish. Its very stupid that they can't get the fix right the first time, I am eager to hear what Vinylweathermans fix was so I can give it a bash.

 

[vinylweatherman]

The fix (verified twice so far)

My fix has worked on another looper, so here it is:-

1) Look for the folder that contains the casino.

E.g c:\program files\crapptcasino

It will contain a few system files and another folder also of the same name.
Go into this second folder and it should contain loads of folders, a few for each game plus some more for other components.
Scroll down till you find a simple file at the end (Other than a few stuck CAB files, it should be the only one). It should be called "Mupinfo" - no extension.

Delete the bloody thing.

Relaunch the casino from the desktop icon.

The casino should then behave normally when in update mode, being that the loading screen will only relaunch ONCE, and the progress bar will run more slowly. Log in and allow the casino to download everything it wants to.

It will download the Mupinfo file from the upgrade server, but it will then recognise that it has updated itself. It may take a while to update as it will have to rebuild itself more than just the new games, as well as having to rebuild the local Mupinfo (the downloaded one is just a skeleton to define the lobby and menus).

This file may also hold the key to the other issues with MG casinos. It is written almost in "plain English", and appears to assign values and flags to customise the build to suit the operator. Understanding what these values are, and what they control, may lead to solutions for some of the other MG issues that some users are having. This file is very big though, too big for Notepad, but will open in Wordpad.
I have noticed too that the casinos have put on a lot, they now seem to be 177Mb, from 95Mb in the Summer!!! - There is a price to pay for better quality graphics it seems. This increase cannot be put down simply to the new games themselves. (12-16 new games do not double the size of the installation). Space problems may become an issue for keen players with small hard drives.

It would be interesting for you to post whether this fix has worked, or if it has not worked in any instance. It is a "dirty" fix, bit like hitting the TV with a bad picture and then thinking it fixed when it then works.

 

[Ivy29]

Problems

ETA: oops, forgot to direct this to MAX1MIKE

I wish it were that simple. Thanks for the suggestion, but I feel like I've tried everything, too.

I don't have a firewall. I have never had virus detectors, spy blocker off, pop up blocker off, tried from a freshly reformated hard drive, two different OS. I don't have anything fancy or high tech on here.

That loading lockup where it gets to 100% might be okay another day when I try it. Been there before, that isn't that unusual.

But, I can't download games through the casino itself. Period.

I wish they'd have a zip file they could send me to add to my current casino that's installed for the update.

Sorry for repeating this for the billionth time, I'm surely a top ten bitcher about MG software by now.

 

[satori]

Thanks so much for not giving up on the problem.... I just tried your fix at Vegas Palms (which hasn't worked since September) and King Neptunes (which went belly up with this new installation) and they now are working fine.

The only thing I did was to delete the mupinfo file and then launched the casino. I didn't make any other changes to my computer.. didn't delete temp files, etc. and didn't disable my anti-virus program either (AVG).

 

[GemG7]

Deleting the mupinfo file worked for me too! Thank you so much

 

[twiddles]

Deleting the mupinfo file worked for me too! Thank you so much

Worked like a champion, thanks for that. Will be sure to tell all my buddies here in Africa!

 

[Ivy29]

It worked! Thank you so much for sharing that fix!

 

[vinylweatherman]

Looking Good

It's amazing that something so simple is actually working. Puzzling why some users get this, and it is different casinos for different users, but always the same casino for the same user when they try all the usual rubbish about deleting, reinstalling, removing cookies etc that MG are so happy to trot out in their sleep. Sounds like they are trying to shift the blame onto the player for being daft enough not to think about configuring their security software and browsers. For casinos that go on about security and good practice - and then tell players to switch off their firewall and virus scanner and go on the internet to work the casino, it's a joke!
A similar fix also seems to help with the "stuck game" problem, and the same fix may help casinos that simply hang rather than loop. Deleting this Mupinfo file forces the casino to repair itself rather than assume the information it has about its own installation is correct. For a single stuck game, delete all the folders for that game and relaunch. You will see it back in red inthe new style lobby. Click on it and it will download it again, and it should then launch. Safly, it may be necessary to do this each time you want to play that game. I have to do this nearly every time I want to play Wasabi-San at All Slots.
I have taken snapshots of the Mupinfo file, before and after, to see if I can spot what is going on.

 

[Ivy29]

MG

I'd say MG and their casinos owe you about a million dollars for this fix. They'd probably say the new lobby fixed it BUT I KNOW BETTER! Like you said, its just amazing that they couldn't figure this simple thing out--THEY CREATED IT!

Not only did it fix the stuck new install load, I can now download games through the casino. SINCE MARCH I've been given the run around, it's always MY COMPUTER crap.

The only one that I ever saw own up to the problems and come up with a solution that worked was the Bellerock rep here. I still couldn't download new games even though I was able to get a full install from his off-site link.

I remember seeing an error message for that mupinfo file in the past, but I wouldn't have ever thought of deleting it.

Thanks again!

 

[bellerock]

Hi All,

Vinylweatherman, fantastic! If this is the solution, and it appears to be, I can only thank you for your persistence in looking for a solution. I will inform MGS of your findings and have them investigate the offending file.

Best regards,

Belle Rock

 

[Pinababy69]

Awesome Vinyl.....I personally have never had any problems (except with Jupiter Club), but can imagine the frustration for all the people who have been unable to play the download versions of the software. Unbelievable that the people who designed this software couldn't figure it out, and you come up with the fix all on your own. Kudos to you........now can ya fix Jupiter Club for me?

 

[tfny]

Worked for me also at thegamingclub. Thanks.

 

[vinylweatherman]

Jupiter Club

The fix for the "No Neteller" problem is to deposit in Flash and go play the download. I expect, like Mupinfo, the problems in the download are caused by other files in the various folders. Sadly, many of these are encrypted, even though they have the INF extension.
It may be possible to repair the Neteller link manually if one could find the code for it. As Jupiter Club et all claim it is a technical problem, they would be overjoyed if we came up with a solution and all their customers could use Neteller again (wouldn't they?).
I have not bothered with this group due to the bad publicity it has generated by not giving some of its players a good service, and not being open with the player base as a whole.

Incidentally, a once off error did expose the "secret" link that is launched from the Neteller icon in MG E-Cash. I asked Neteller if posting this info would pose a security threat and they didn't bother even to reply, so they can't be that bothered. The secret link actually goes to a Neteller server to initiate the deposit, and is tagged with information to ensure it ends up in the players casino account (except when it all goes wrong of course). If I have time to spare I will see if I can find exactly where the coding is.
As for the Java problem mentioned once, I have never suffered from this, however, MG casinos use Internet Explorer, but with a modified window setting, to display their "Message of the day", and homepage menus from within the software. Java could be involved here. The software calls pages directly by IP address (nnn.nnn.nnn.nnn) and not by DSN (www.crapptcasino.com). This means that often adding things to IE Zones will not always solve the problem. External calls are also made by DSN, and these CAN be fixed, such as the "No logon to loyalty, playcheck & cashcheck" problem, solved by adding "Loyalty6.microgaming.com" for loyalty account (the number varies between casinos) Other functions start with cashcheck(n), playcheck(n) and accounts(n). n is a number from 1 to 9, although I have seen 3 and 6 most frequently used. The exact one can be determined by logging on to playcheck through the website using Netscape or similar Mozilla clone.

 

[vinylweatherman]

Mupinfo fix and XP

32red have just told me that they cannot find the Mupinfo file on XP systems. Have any users managed to make the Mupinfo fix on an XP machine?
It may simply be a hidden file.

 

[dominique]

I run XP and I have had no problems at 32red and at Phoenician.

Haven't tried any others.

 

[Ivy29]

XP

I have XP and found the file right where you said it would be for All Slots and Ruby Fortune and it worked to delete it after install. A friend of mine has Win98 and the fix worked for her. So I don't think it's an OS hiding the file thing.

I have my settings on show all files, but that isn't one I would have thought would be hidden anyway.

Kind of shaking my head that these techs couldn't find a fix and now can't find the file. Good grief.