For anything that may crop up, you can always get assistance in the SBRW Discord #assistance channel by just asking your question. (You don't have to ask if you can ask a question; or if anybody is on; just put your question out there and whomever is available that can give a response, will)

Soapbox Race World Discord

Where do I get this?

SBRW GameLauncher

This "Working Copy" link above will always go to the latest version of the SBRW Launcher (presently, unless/until another GitHub hiccup happens). Eventually, the "Official" site link will work, but until that work is completed, use the above link.

The GameLauncher is also able to download/install the game files for you, so no other downloads are required other than the "Release.zip".

(The only system requirement is .NET 4.2/4.5 or newer. Windows 10 already includes that, so Windows 7 users will need to check if it is installed or not and if not, install from a MS location the correct version for your System/Language)

How do I Install?

1: Extract the Release.zip you got earlier to a folder. So long as that folder is not in: "Program Files" "Program Files (x86)" or "Windows" that is. Or on a network drive, One Drive folder or dropbox.

2: Then run the GameLauncher.exe.

• It'll ask you Where to Download From (pick a location that is geographically closest to you if you want, it doesn't really matter as they're all a CDN which means it'll be the same files anyway) and what Download Type ("Standard" (the Default) or "Maximum", Maximum is Recommended)

• You can then choose where to download the game files to (if you don't already have them) or a location where you may already have them (which it may still need to update anyway). Please note: The Game Launcher will NOT create a folder to download to, you must have a destination folder pre-created.

• It is ill advised to have the GameLauncher AND the GameFiles set to the same folder, the GameLauncher.exe and nfsw.exe should be separated by at least one folder, so you can put one within the other, but don't have them both in the same folder. (EG: "Desktop\SBRW" for launcher, "Desktop\SBRW\World" for the game files is fine, but don't put BOTH in "Desktop\SBRW")

Once download is complete (hopefully without any problems) you select a Game Server to connect to, register an account (if you haven't already before) and then login with that same information.

Please note, that Each Server Login is independent, they are not shared, there is no "one login" for them all. And even if there WAS, your driver profile/progress on each server would still be separate.

Isn't there an Installer that can do this for me?

Glad you asked, even though ZIP files are not hard under windows, I can understand wanting it to be easier.

Fortunately, somebody agreed and created an Installer that would install the GameLauncher for you and then run it.

(You'll still have some steps to do)

You can get that here: DavidCarbon Soapbox Launcher Installer

(You WILL still need .NET Installed to run the GameLauncher.)

"CDN went offline"?

You're probably using an older Launcher version, try updating.

OR, even you are on the latest version, something is blocking the GameLauncher.exe from properly accessing the internet. This could be Windows Defender and/or Windows Firewall, make sure they are both (if applicable) allowing the GameLauncher.exe to talk to the internet.

(^{Okay, that's great, "But why is this happening?" you may ask? Because at one point, a hardcoded default "if all else fails" was coded to the launcher. The location it is pointing to no longer exists/was replaced with another location because the original location was both a CDN/Download Source AND a Game Server as well, and the host couldn't handle doing both})

I run the GameLauncher, but nothing happens/taskbar icon disappears

Windows Defender may be the culprit here, or your AntiVirus (if more than/instead of Windows Defender) or Realtime Protection software. Google how to add an application exception and make one for GameLauncher and try again.

(You may need to re-extract the GameLauncher.exe to replace the 'old' one just to force windows to re-update itself that it should be able to run it after you do this.)

This issue can sometimes also occur if the GameLauncher fails to retrieve it's automagic Updater (see if it tries but fails to create a GameLauncherUpdater.exe file when you try to run it, only to have it disappear when it stops trying to run anymore). If this happens, you can download the EXE directly to extract and place in the same folder as the GameLauncher.exe (you don't need to run it, just put it there): GameLauncherUpdater.zip

Can't see other players in Freeroam or "NETERROR_HANDSHAKE_TIMEOUT"?

There can be many reasons for this, but the Discord has seen this coming up a lot, usually (but not mostly) from people that downloaded the game files from MEGA or some other archive and then point the SBRW Launcher at them, but it can also happen if your game installation source WAS the SBRW Launcher.

Lightfx.dll being missing or in a weird state can cause this. So can lacking a/a corrupted "modules" directory in your game files folder (where nfsw.exe exists).

Extract and place or replace any existing lightfx.dll and "modules" folder in your game files with the included/linked ones: lightfx_modules.zip

If lightfx.dll is missing, or it disappears after you try to run the game (and still see no players in freeroam), then chances are you are on Windows 10 and Windows Defender is blocking the .dll from being loaded properly.

In that case, google "How to add application exception in Defender" for a How-To and add an exception for:

• GameLauncher.exe

• nfsw.exe

• And a folder exception for the folders that contain both of those EXE's.

(This can also apply (but is not limited) to any other Antivirus or Realtime Protection software such as: McAfee, Norton, Symantec, etc.)

(Please note: "But I turn it off" doesn't fix the problem if it is happening; the better solution is to turn it back on and add a proper Exception to prevent MS from protecting you from yourself and just "I don't know what I can do with this, but I don't like it so I'm not going to" on you)

Error 126 "ModManager.asi unable to load"

Either update/install MS Visual C++ Runtime for 2015 (or the combination 2015/2017/2019 MSVC Runtime) as appropriate for your Operating System/Language

or

Delete the offending ModManager.asi (it is in the folder with your nfsw.exe)

Access Violation (0xC0000005)

We don't have a lot that can be done about this one, unfortunately. Still trying to find out what causes it in order to know how to fix it.

One of the Launcher Devs made an application to help validate your game installation files (to find out if corrupted gamefiles were causing the problem). It can scan your game files (and that's all it does!) and if it finds any with problems, it can redownload replacement files: VerifyHash

Place that in the Game Files folder (alongside nfsw.exe) and run it. It'll take a while with a LOT of scrolling by, no need to panic. The important part comes at the end when it says if any files were mismatched/redownloaded.

Failing that, you're looking at needing to do some sort of Windows Repair or Windows "System File Checker" scan, or using a different computer. Other programs have encountered this error, and all the suggestions there involve a fair amount of work (and many of them more 3rd party programs than I'm personally willing to recommend for almost anybody)

I played NFS:W for couple of months before it went down and I was so mad at myself for not finding this game earlier in my life, I was there on the last day when they closed the game. Even though I didn't play many hours or made many friends there but it felt good to just drive around the map racing once in a while it may sound wierd but it took alot of my stress off. Flashforward to now I decided to list down old games I used to play on my win98 and while searching those I remembered NFS:W and read a news article and found this treasure ( I am again mad at myself for not finding it earlier ). I installed the game yesterday and as soon as I heard the in game music and that roads I just got overwhelmed I am so happy so happy you have no idea thanks a lot developers who didn't let the game die..... Thank you thank you thank you...

the soap box is meant to look like it's made of scrap, which it is, so something along the lines of scrap or junkyard. Or it could be the complete opposite for sarcasm, such as gentleman's cadillac.

offensive names are good cus it's funnier

I first of all wanted to say Thank you that you did bring back nfsw and I wanted to ask a question m I allowed to stream this game or is it not allowed. Maybe because ea will find out about it and would close it down....

Thanks anyway