Punkbuster utility: what and what is used for

Downloading various applications on your computer (especially games), you may encounter the fact that a certain version of Punkbuster will be installed. What it is? This is a system that does not allow you to use codes in online games.

How it works

When installing the game on your computer, Punkbuster must be installed immediately. "What?" - Ask advanced users. And they will do it right. After all, no one gave consent for the installation of secondary software, and if you take into account the individual items of the license agreement (which we'll talk about below), then most probably would not install it.

In most cases, the same-named service is also installed with it. What is Punkbuster services? It is a component of the program we are considering, which serves for its continuous implementation, as well as for updating.

So, you installed it yourself or together with the game Punkbuster. What? Can not you use the codes in the online game? Or is there a constant error? The first thing Punkbuster must upgrade to the latest version. Furthermore. It compares its version with the version installed on the game server. If your program is more recent, then Punkbuster will be updated on the server, otherwise you will have to wait until you have downloaded and upgraded your utility.

If you are connected to the server, then you are disappointed. When you try to use codes / cheats you will be automatically thrown out of it. Or, worse, immediately banned.

Errors

When you try to enter one of the games using the Punkbuster utility without the corresponding software installed, you will receive a message stating that Punkbuster is not installed or not updated. Then you will need to go to the folder with the game, find there _Installer - Punkbuster - redist and run the file pbsvc.exe. The required version of the program will be installed or updated.

License

And now it's time to talk about how important protection is to you from the codes. According to one common joke, "Russia is the fastest-reading country, which was revealed by counting the time for which the license agreement is read ." Indeed, do we often read the terms of these agreements completely? Most users quickly scroll through it to quickly put the cherished tick and continue the installation. At the same time, there are points in the Punkbuster license agreement that you should pay attention to.

Imagine. You installed and started a game using Punkbuster. What? The screenshots of your game are on the Internet, a lot of spam begins to pour into your mail. Where is it from? But it was worth reading the license agreement carefully.

The fact is that manufacturers do not bear any responsibility for the actions of their program. Moreover, it independently collects data about your computer, Internet connection, files on hard disks, and even makes photos of the screen. And all this is absolutely normal and is spelled out in the agreement. Do you want it? For the pleasure of playing a couple of hours online?

Games

A bit about applications using Punkbuster. In its majority this is an offline toy with the ability to play on the network. Examples of such programs include:

• Battlefield up to version 4;
• Far Cry;
• FEAR;
• Doom 4;
• Crysis;
• Quake 3,4;
• NFS (some recent versions).

And this is not a complete list. If you consider that in most games you can disable Punkbuster, then this should be one of your first actions in terms of security. Yes, the number of available servers will decrease, however, believe me, keeping your computer private is more important than being able to play fair. And the protection of Punkbuster is far from absolute and, according to the assurances of some players, it is quite easy to manage.

So, think about it several times before installing Punkbuster. What is the ability to play before the danger of losing your data? This application is not a virus, but it can do a lot of harm to your personal computer.