PB Updating Punkbuster
From PunksBusted
There are two major components to the PunkBuster system: The PunkBuster Server (runs on game servers) and the PunkBuster Client (runs on the players' playing machines while they play the game). Both components are designed to automatically keep themselves up to date with the latest versions of PunkBuster. The PB Server software routinely checks with the master PB Servers and downloads new updates when they become available and then distributes the new versions down to the PB Clients when players running an old version connect to the server.
When PB can't keep itself up to date, various error messages will be displayed. For PB Server Admins, messages will be displayed to all players when a player joins who has a newer version of PB than what is currently running on the PB Server. Also, PB Servers running old versions will not be able to detect and deal with all of the latest versions of cheat/hack software. For players of the games, when their PB can't keep itself up to date, they will be removed (kicked) from PB Servers and may see one of a variety of messages ... "Distress", "Technical Problem loading ...", or "Update Timeout".
In almost every case where PB cannot keep itself up to date, the problem is a firewall or some type of security software that blocks communication with the master PB Servers. In order for PB to be able to keep itself up to date, you must open the appropriate UDP ports for your game. The port numbers can be found in the FAQ section for each game we support. If this can be resolved, then PB will be able to auto-update and function properly the way it was designed and PBSetup will not be necessary.
For users who are unable to resolve the issues dealing with master PB Server communication or who have unreliable Internet connections that cause PB auto-updates to fail, there are basically two ways to manually update PunkBuster. The old way is to visit the download page on this website linked from the appropriate game's [1]support page].
The new way to update PunkBuster manually is to use the PBSetup program that we developed to install, update, and repair PB.
Download the appropriate PBSetup for your operating system from the links provided below.
For Windows: pbsetup.exe
For Linux: pbsetup.run
For Mac OSX: pbsetup.tgz
How to install and run PBSetup
Windows and Linux users need to create a folder called PBSetup to store the executable in. During runtime, it will create a number of files and should be in a folder to reduce clutter. PBSetup for OSX is already a self contained package, and does not need a folder.
Creating a folder and desktop shorcut: Right click on your desktop, select "New" then "Folder". The name will be auto highlighted, so just type to rename it. Call it PBSetup and then hit Enter. Now, left click and hold on your PBSetup.exe file you just downloaded and drag it to the new folder. Let go when the folder is highlighted to move it to the PBSetup folder. Double click on the folder to open it up, right click the PBSetup program and select copy. Close the PBSetup folder and right click on your Desktop. Select "Paste Shortcut" to create a link to the original exe. Now whenever you want to run PBSetup, simply double click on the shortcut.
To begin, start the executable. When run, PBSetup with download and display our EULA. Accept it to continue.
Click the "Add a Game" button to bring up the game selection screen. Use the dropdown menu to select your game. In most cases, PBSetup will auto detect the path to your PB folder. Add it in manually if it does not, and report this to our support team
Once you have added all the game that you want to update (you can update as many as you want, all at the same time) click on the "Check for Updates" button to have PBSetup check for new updates, install PB, or repair corrupted files.
Please communicate directly with our staff using our web trouble-ticket system for any issues related to PBSetup.
In addition, be aware that PBSetup attempts to locate the installation directory of any game automatically. It does this using a series of "game hints". The "game hints" can be registry entries, hardcoded directories, or system environment variables. Although PBSetup currently detects the game installation paths well, there is a chance that we've missed some locations. If you find that PBSetup does not automatically find your game installation, please fill out a trouble ticket and let us know. Please include the game, your OS, and the complete path to your PB folder.
Source: http://www.evenbalance.com/index.php?page=pbsetup.php
