Troubleshooting Common Quake 3 Arena Server Issues
Fix common Quake 3 Arena dedicated server issues including version mismatch errors and .pak file compatibility problems.
Here are common Quake 3 Arena server issues and how to fix them.
"User Interface Version Mismatch" Error
Encountering the error "User Interface is version 3, expected 6" (or similar messages with different version numbers) indicates a version mismatch in the .pak files between the server and the client.
Both the server and client must use matching sets of .pak files to ensure compatibility. The most efficient way to fix this is by using the standardized patch files provided by the ioquake3 project.
For Server Owners
Download the Patch Files
Download the latest patch data from ioquake3 Patch Data.
Open the Panel
Access the XGamingServer Panel and select your Quake 3 Arena server.
Upload the Patch Files
In the sidebar, click Files. Navigate to the baseq3 folder and upload the new .pak files you downloaded from ioquake3.
For Game Clients (Players)
Download the Same Patch Files
Download the same ioquake3 patch files from the link above.
Locate Your Game Directory
Find the Quake 3 Arena installation directory on your PC. The default path is usually within your "Program Files" folder.
Replace the .pak Files
Navigate to the baseq3 folder in your game directory. Replace the existing .pak files with the ones downloaded from ioquake3. Make sure they match the files uploaded to the server.
Synchronizing the .pak files between your server and client eliminates the discrepancies that cause the "User Interface version" errors.
How is this guide?