Game crashes to Desktop

Hello fellow Arma2 players.

I have this problem with the game crashing to the desktop.

It happens as soon as i start a multiplayer server and the game should open the missions.

The message i get is:

Data file too short 'MPMissions\MyMission3dTest.Chernarus.pbo'. Expected 149149 B, got 269 B.

I think i know what caused this error, but i dont know how to fix it.

I have been creating a custom Mission with the 3d Editor (Alt+E in the main menu). Everything worked well. Then i wanted to try that hint where somebody said that there has to be another mission with its sqm file, since the 3d editor doesnt create one, and put the 3d mission's sqf file in there. So i had to get the latest sqf file of my 3d mission and did save "export to MultiplayerMissions" or so. Right after that I got that error message. I didnt even change something in the Mission folders yet, I even moved the folders to the desktop. I searched all of my arma folders, i can not find any 'MyMission3dTest.Chernarus.pbo' file or any other pointer to that file.

I think there must be somewhere a pointer to that file. But im not even sure if that thought is correct. Something has the information that that told file should be there, but it isnt, why then the 269 B? there was never a *.pbo of that mission, so why does the game ask for it and how do i manage to make it stop longing for it?

I would really appreciate your help, since i cannot start or setup any multiplayer mission. Thanks in advance!

greetings, Max.

EDIT: oh and i DID search in google and the forum search for a solution, but i didnt find one yet and those who had similar problems never posted how they solved it or got no replies.

EDIT2: I just reinstalled the game, reinstalled the Patch. Cleared all of the ARMA2 Folders. But the error is still there. Is there a Registry Entry of Arma2 that may contain mission expectations? I just found out that after ANOTHER deinstallation, the ArmAWork Folder is still there with all of its content.

EDIT3: Here we go again... I reinstalled again...deleted EVERYTHING ArmA! related...now there are two strange things: at the end of a deinstallation you are asked: "do you want to delete your saveGames and Profiles" or something similar. After deinstalling, deleting EVERY file. ArmA seems to know my name! so there must be an information about the profile somewhere else than in the ArmA directories and this is not affected by a deinstallation, resulting in my Problem being still there.

EDIT4: Summary:

Problem: Error Message when starting own Server in Multiplayer Mode:

"Data file too short 'MPMissions\MyMission3dTest.Chernarus.pbo'. Expected 149149 B, got 269 B."

Reason: In the 3d Editor I created a Map and klicked Save - Export to MPMissions

Measures taken: several Restarts , 2xReinstalling, Deleting all ArmA related Data, searched Pc several Times, Registry searched

Solution: No!

please, i really love this game and i wanted to start modding with it but under these circumstances its impossible to even try to make my own mission.

hey, sad there is no reply yet. i bump this, because i had an idea or better another question:

is there a multiplayer mission cache or so? somewhere where the multiplayer missions are stored at? maybe deleting or renewing that file may enable me to host missions again.

hopefully somebody knows an answer, thanks in advance

Well I tried it myself and I got the same bug.

To be able to host missions you can find and delete .pbo the file under in your ArmA2\MPMissions directory. No reinstall required...

If that doesnt work, go into your MyDocuments\ArmA 2 Other Profiles\<USERNAME>\missions and delete the files the editor created folder matching your mission name aswell.

Hey, thanks for the reply and thanks alot for testing it out!

I searched for the files you told me in the directories you told me!

i re-searched my pc and i didnt find that directory with the said file.

the pbo seems to be non-existent... the error is still there, even after deleting all MPMission folders i found... :(

but thanks alot though!

What platform are you on? XP? Vista? Mac?

FIXED!!!

im on windows 7, maybe thats it, or maybe it is just a bug in the still unpublished and unfinished 3D editor.

How i fixed it:

-opened the 3d editor again.

-created a spawn and a vehicle.

-saved as user Mission and export as multi player mission. savename was the exact same name as the mission from the error message

-closed arma2.

-restarted,

-tried to host a multiplayer mission, again the same error message but with different numbers!!!

-searched the mapname folders: in my documents folder and in the arma2 system folder

-deleted the folders

-started arma2

-hosted

and it worked.

thanks for your support guys!

i got the exact same problem when opening scenarios i been trying your method but with no luck im on windows 7 64 bit

did anyone find a sure fire way to fix this.

no joy sadly.

It only occurs when I try to host. the MP and SP is flawless.

error also shows if I try to join a dedicated server on my own machine (dedicated crashes)

I did potentially make matters worse by deleting the mission I started in the 3D editor.

I think it would work if I could just figure out how to remove the reference to this file.

some kind of 3D ed flush button or tool? :)

Thanks for your time. & keep up the good work with A2!!

FIXED!!!

im on windows 7, maybe thats it, or maybe it is just a bug in the still unpublished and unfinished 3D editor.

How i fixed it:

-opened the 3d editor again.

-created a spawn and a vehicle.

-saved as user Mission and export as multi player mission. savename was the exact same name as the mission from the error message

-closed arma2.

-restarted,

-tried to host a multiplayer mission, again the same error message but with different numbers!!!

-searched the mapname folders: in my documents folder and in the arma2 system folder

-deleted the folders

-started arma2

-hosted

and it worked.

thanks for your support guys!

Hey wich folder do you delete and where, couse i cant see the easy in "searched the mapname folders: in my documents folder and in the arma2 system folder" what mapname? what arma2 system folder? :i