GenPatcher and GenTool Updates for Recent TUC Builds

[Plok 323]

The latest versions of Command & Conquer: The Ultimate Collection were published with new executables, which naturally caused incompatibility with several community tools, among them the irreplaceable GenPatcher and GenTool. However, their developers were quick enough to develop tweaked builds so everyone is on the same page.

GenPatcher, the one-stop patching tool for fresh Generals and Zero Hour installations, received three versions by now - 2.07 beta, 2.07b and 2.07c. In addition to the new TUC releases being supported, the tool is no longer falsely detected by Malwarebytes, registry and serial key issues are adapted for the Steam version, and includes Windows Media Feature Pack among its redistributables that are installed if not found on the system.

As for GenTool, the quality-of-life improvement tool for Generals and Zero Hour, version 8.7 brings the following changes:

New Features

• Added compatibility with Generals and Zero Hour The Ultimate Collection (Steam, EA App)
• Added warning message popup for non-x87 compatible generals executables
• Fixed game version mismatches for various compatible executables
• Fixed missing hashing of scb files for game version hash generations
• Fixed C&C Online login kick by generating random ergc game keys when so required
• Added -showFrameCount command line argument to draw frame counts

Fixes/Improvements

• Fixed severe performance degradation with Steam Overlay (GameOverlayRenderer.dll)
• Fixed crash on application boot with Windows XP 32
• Fixed dysfunctional GenTool Updater in Windows XP
• Fixed theoretically unsafe code with Windows XP
• Fixed minor inaccuracy of FPS counter and FPS limiter
• Fixed incorrect terrain draw distance after changing camera height
• Changed Upload Player ID generation by adding another salt
• Improved game version names for uploaded txt files
• Removed forceful disabling of Origin In Game (IGO32.dll)
• Updater: Improved patch file formats and capabilities
• Updater: Improved the maps patcher for future map releases
• Updater: Removed the replacement of the Zero Hour no-CD game.dat
• Updater: Removed the replacement of the Generals Origin generals.exe

EDIT (30 March 2024): GenTool was bumped to version 8.8 to fix a slowdown issue on Windows 11 related to the framerate limiter.

To keep your installation of Generals and Zero Hour as up-to-date and stable as possible, download GenPatcher, then GenTool (as the former currently includes the previous version of the latter).

[Munja 0]

I made the mistake to update them through EA application and now the patched launchers don't work. They asking for EA background services to be enabled. The same occurs with the Steam versions. Tiberian Dawn, Red Alert, Tiberian Sun and Renegade are ok, because I patched them with the modern patches. The problem is on Red Alert 2, Generals and Zero Hour, C&C 3 and RA 3. All patched with TUC launchers fix and Generals with GenPatcher and GenTools.

Edited April 4, 2024 by Munja

[Plok 323]

If you mean the patched launchers, they are currently obsolete. Last month's update changed too much for them to be viable still. They are also completely useless for the Steam versions because Steam never used those launchers.

To revert the games to a usable state, verify the files from EA App or Steam (whichever you choose to keep) and only apply the individual community fixes (GenPatcher/GenTool for Generals and Zero Hour, CnCNet patches for the older games etc.).

[Munja 0]

Fortunately I had installed them to another PC with Origin, on March of 2023 and everything is ok. TUC launchers working without asking the EA application to be running.

So I kept those installations for future-proof gaming.