Command and Conquer Generals options.ini on Windows 10: How to Fix

The Command and Conquer Generals options.ini file is a key component that determines how the game runs on modern systems. If you’re playing on Windows 10 and the game crashes or refuses to launch, chances are this file is either missing or corrupted. Fixing it can often get the game working again without further hassle.

Why the options.ini File Is Important

The Generals options.ini file holds the main configuration settings for the game, such as screen resolution, detail levels, audio preferences, and performance tweaks. Without it, the game struggles to apply stable defaults and may crash on startup. Since Command and Conquer Generals is an older title, newer operating systems like Windows 10 sometimes fail to generate this file correctly.

Where to Find the options.ini File

Normally, the file is located in your Documents folder:

• Documents → Command and Conquer Generals Data → options.ini

If the folder or file doesn’t exist, the game won’t boot properly. In that case, you’ll need to create it manually.

How do I get Command and Conquer Generals to work on Windows 10?

1. Create a new options.ini file

1. Go to the following folder: C:/Users/username/Documents/Command and Conquer Generals/ Data
2. Right-click anywhere inside it, select New > Text document.
   
3. Name the file options.
   
   
4. Now, paste the following into it:
   AntiAliasing = 1
CampaignDifficulty = 0
DrawScrollAnchor =
FirewallBehavior = 1
FirewallNeedToRefresh = FALSE
FirewallPortAllocationDelta = 0
GameSpyIPAddress = 10.0.0.2
Gamma = 50
IPAddress = 10.0.0.2
IdealStaticGameLOD = Low
LanguageFilter = false
MoveScrollAnchor =
MusicVolume = 0
Resolution = 1024 768
Retaliation = yes
SFX3DVolume = 79
SFXVolume = 71
ScrollFactor = 16
SendDelay = no
StaticGameLOD = High
UseAlternateMouse = no
UseDoubleClickAttackMove = no
VoiceVolume = 70
5. Save the file and change the extension of your file from .txt to .ini (To do this, you must enable file extensions for known type of files).
6. Right-click the options.txt file and choose Rename from the list.
   
7. Now, rename it from options.txt to options.ini.
   
8. After creating a new options.ini file you can patch the game to version 1.04 if you want.
9. Try starting the game and see if it works.

One of our readers also recommended changing the resolution settings in the options.ini file but creating a new file as instructed in this procedure will also change the resolution.

2. Delete the dbghelp.dll file

1. Open the File Explorer and navigate to the path below: C:\Program Files (x86)\Origin Games\Command and Conquer Generals Zero Hour
2. Open either of the Command and Conquer General & Zero Hour folders and right-click the dbghelp.dll file.
3. Now, select the Delete option.
   

If you are facing the Command and Conquer Generals Directx 8.1 error on Windows 10, the steps below should help you fix it.

3. Install the Genpatcher

1. Press the Windows key, type virus, and select the Virus & threat protection option.
   
2. Click Manage settings.
   
3. Toggle the switch for Real-time protection backward to disable it. If you have any other third-party antivirus, make sure you disable it.
   
4. Now, download the launch Genpatcher. You can also get it from Legi’s page.
   
5. Finally, click the Apply fixes button to fix all issues with the game.

Few users recommend using Genlauncher instead, so don’t hesitate to try it.

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4. Modify your registry

1. Press Windows key + R, enter regedit, and Click OK.
   
2. In the left pane, navigate to the following path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/CurrentControlSet/Services/secdrv
3. In the right pane, double-click the secdrv DWORD.
4. Set its Value data to 2 and click OK to save changes.
5. Close the Registry Editor.

Keep in mind that this solution won’t work for you unless you can access the key from Step 2. If you don’t have this key on your PC, you can just skip this solution.

5. Use Command Prompt

1. Click the Start icon, type cmd, and click on Run as administrator under Command Prompt.
   
2. Type the command below and press Enter to run it: sc config secdrv start= auto
3. Finally, wait for the command to finish running and try the game alone.

6. Install legacy components

1. Open Search and type Turn Windows features on or off. Select the first result.
   
2. Expand Legacy Components and ensure DirectPlay is checked.
   
3. Save changes.

We have come to the end of this guide. With the information in this guide, you should be able to fix issues with Command and Conquer Generals on Windows 10.

If the issue still persists, you can get the Ultimate edition on Origin that is optimized for newer systems.

This isn’t the only game from the series that is having issues, and users reported various Red Alert 2 issues on Windows.

In the comments below, let us know the solution that helped you fix this issue.