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NOTICE: This guide has not been updated since July 2016. If you are redirected here by me, or by a guide I have helped to set up, please go to this URL instead, which I currently maintain and that contains the latest instructions to get Battlefield 2 installed (at the time of writing this, even on Windows XP, Vista and Linux too!).

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NOTE: BF2 "Revive" is no different than a regular BF2 "Vanilla" version!
In 2014 GameSpy was closed, and so the Multiplayer experience of many online games was terminated as well.
This is the case of Battlefield 2, which was shutdown in 2014.

But fear not! The Team at battlelog.co has revived the whole game, Multiplayer included! Basically they gave us a way to log in and play online once again, with Rankings enabled.
You can read more about Project Revive in this article of the Wiki: http://battlelog.co/wiki.php?article=18.


1. Download it!

You must first register an account on battlelog.co, but it's important that you read the note below first!
Then go to the download page and get the Battlefield 2 - FULL Installer, (it's a 2.67 GB .zip archive).
If you have troubles downloading it, you may find some working mirrors (as well as integrity checksums) here.

NOTE: Did you use to play BF2 in the past? Do you want your old Rank and core stats back?
     Then I strongly suggest you read this topic before registering your account!


2. Install it!

Firstly, extract the contents of the .zip archive anywhere, and then double-click on setup.exe.
Make sure to read the note below though, before pressing on "Install".

NOTE: If you can, you should install the game in the default path on the C:\ Drive, because (for some players) the game does not work correctly otherwise. If you really want to install it on another Drive letter, read this post.

Then open the following step by step image guide, it will walk you through the whole installation process, from the beginning to the end. Let all the images load, and read each paragraph very carefully!


When prompted for the installation key(s), use the unique Revive Key generated for your account.
You have to use it for both the BF2 and the "Special Forces"* fields:
on battlelog.co, click Username > Account Settings > Get Battlelog Key to get yours.

*The Special Forces Expansion Pack is currently not bundled in the Full Free2Play 2,7 GB release.


3. Play it!

A) Create your Multiplayer Local Profile (a.k.a. "Online" Profile):

You can perform this task in one of two ways. Click on the links below to reveal the relative steps!

FROM THE GAME

I have written all the details in this Image Guide, so load all the images and follow it carefully! The next spoiler contains the text version of the image guide above, in case the imgur website is down. You should really stick to the image guide though: it's much more easy to follow and it contains additional informations as well, other than the actual images. Show/Hide Text Version  • Quoted from the *old* registration page: "Be sure you log in at least one time to the website before running the Launcher, to perform the inital System checks";  • Right-click the "BF2 Revive" shortcut on your Desktop: click on run as Administrator. You must be connected to the Internet as well, or you will receive an error;  • Log in (just the first time) with your battlelog.co account credentials. The password is the same for both the game, the Launcher, and the website; Firewall Warning If you are stuck on "Connecting to Blue Servers" (in the Login window), then you have to make sure that "BF2Launch.exe" is allowed in the Windows Firewall. You can find a guide on how to do it here; you will have to click "Browse" in step 5. and navigate to the game's directory, then click on "BF2Launch.exe". Finally put a checkmark on both the "Private" and "Public" checkboxes and click "Ok". The default game directory is the following: C:\Program Files (x86)\EA GAMES\Battlefield 2 (for 64 bit Systems) or C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\Battlefield 2 (for 32 bit Systems).  • Close the "Announcement" window, then click on "Settings" > "General" > check "Windowed Mode" and click "Save". Don't worry, we will set Fullscreen Mode again later on, but we need the game to run in Windowed Mode just this time in order to see a Windows Security Alert window;  • Click on "Play Battlefield 2" to run the game in an 800x600 window;  • If it's the very first time you are booting Battlefield 2, then you will be promped with a "Welcome, Recruit!" panel, asking you to choose between Singleplayer or Multiplayer: click on "Play Multiplayer". If you don't see this window, it's because you already have a "Profiles" folder in your Documents; go into the following folder and delete the "Profiles" folder if you want to start from scratch, (but back it up just in case you need to restore it later on); C:\Users\%username%\Documents\Battlefield 2 (for Windows Vista/7/8/10 users) or C:\Documents and Settings\%username%\My Documents\Battlefield 2 (for Windows XP users).  • Click "Accept Terms" and then click "Retrieve Account" on the bottom of the panel;  • Click the "Nickname" radio button and fill the fields with your battlelog.co account credentials. Remember that the password is the same for both the game, the Launcher, and the website;  • Click on "Retrieve Account" and then allow BF2.exe in the Windows Security Alert window that will pop up. If you did not run the game in Windowed Mode, press Alt+Tab ↹ on your keyboard and you'll see the alert window. If you don't see any Windows Security Alert window pop up you should check that BF2.exe is truly amongst the allowed programs in the Firewall. This is where you have to look for it, on Windows: http://www.technipages...grams-in-windows-firewall.  • When you manage to log in, click "Quit" so that we can set back Fullscreen Mode from the Launcher. Otherwise skip the following step if you usually play in Windowed Mode;  • On the Revive Launcher, click "Settings" > "General" > check "Windowed Mode" once again and then uncheck it, finally click "Save". You can put a checkmark on "Restart Mode" as well, if you want to skip the introduction videos. Remember to always click "Save" and then launch the game again with "Play Battlefield 2". Notice that this time the Launcher will automatically log you into your 0001 account;  • Once you are in the game close the "Message From EA" first, then click "Options" > "Video" and change the video settings to your liking. I suggest you change the "View Distance Scale" from 0.9 to 1.0 as well; remember to click "Apply" when you are done. The next time you'll load a map, the shaders will be optimized automatically according to your new video settings.

FROM THE LAUNCHER

NOTE: You can get a look at images of some of the following steps, in the image guide linked in the "from the game" spoiler above.  • Right-click the "BF2 Revive" shortcut on your Desktop: click on run as Administrator;  • Log in (just the first time) with your battlelog.co account cretentials; Firewall Warning If you are stuck on "Connecting to Blue Servers" (in the Login window), then you have to make sure that "BF2Launch.exe" is allowed in the Windows Firewall. You can find a guide on how to do it here; you will have to click "Browse" in step 5. and navigate to the game's directory, then click on "BF2Launch.exe". Finally put a checkmark on both the "Private" and "Public" checkboxes and click "Ok". The default game directory is the following: C:\Program Files (x86)\EA GAMES\Battlefield 2 (for 64 bit Systems) or C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\Battlefield 2 (for 32 bit Systems).  • Close the "Announcement" window, then click on "Settings" and the "Profile Manager" will open;  • Create / Manage your Multiplayer Online Profiles from here, (select 0001 to create your main profile, type your battlelog.co's account username and finally click on "Create This Profile");  • Make sure to click the "Send all Profiles to The Cloud" button when you're done.

B) Launch the Game and join a Server:

 • Always run the Launcher as an Administrator, (it prevents some Launcher errors);
 • Close the "Announcement" window and click "Play Battlefield 2";
 • Let the game load, and even if you face a black screen for some seconds: don't press anything.
   If your game crashes, follow these instructions and report any errors in the Support section of the Forum;
 • Close the EA message and go to the Multiplayer tab;
 • Select a Server, click "Join Game" and prepare yourself for action!
 • To get your stats tracked by battlelog.co, you have to play on Ranked Servers: more details here.
[ If you get a "The server has refused the connection" error on your first attempt to join a PunkBuster-enabled Server, just try to join it again! There's a PunkBuster fix here; you need to register to view the post. ]

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Did you find this post helpful? Let me know with a Yes or No on battlelog.co,
(but you must be already logged in), or by thanking this post on lost-soldiers.org: Thank You.
[ The Yes/No links will open a new page and give a thumbs up/down to the original post on battlelog.co,
 so you must log in battlelog.co first, and then click the link ]