Download the zip above and extract it anywhere you like — your Desktop, Downloads, wherever's easiest to find later.
Run the Generals installer from the extracted folder. When it asks for a CD key, generate one below (if it says already in use, just generate another).
Once Generals is installed, run the Zero Hour installer the same way.
Run the 1.04 Patch installer from the extracted folder. This has to happen before GenPatcher — it updates the base game first.
Open the GenPatcher folder and run GenPatcher.exe. This is what fixes the game so it actually runs properly on modern Windows.
Click through the tabs and apply: Main Fixes and GenTool (this last one fixes your screen resolution and lets you play online). Just click "Apply" on each — the defaults are fine.
By default the game runs in a small window — here's how to make it fill your screen properly (borderless fullscreen):
Insert to open the GenTool overlay menuFULLON if you see that optionOnce GenPatcher finishes, use the shortcut it creates (or the ones already included in the folder) to launch Zero Hour. Don't launch the base generals.exe directly — always go through the patched shortcut.
Multiplayer runs through GameRanger — a free tool that lets you and the squad find each other and host games together online.
Run the installer, click through, done — nothing tricky here.
First time opening GameRanger, it'll ask for a username, password, and email. Use an email you actually check — they'll send a confirmation link.
Check your inbox (and spam folder) for the activation email, click the link, then log back into GameRanger.
Search their GameRanger username and send a friend request. Once you're friends, you'll see when they're online and can host or join their games directly.
generals.exe or game.dat inside C:\Games\. Regular fullscreen mode (not borderless) can randomly crash when Alt+Tabbing — that's why we use the borderless method above instead, it's more stable and lets you tab out safely mid-match.Download the zip above and extract it straight to C:\Games\. When you're done you should have C:\Games\Half-Life\ — everything's already inside, including both games and the shortcuts.
Inside C:\Games\Half-Life\ you'll find ready-made shortcuts: Counter-Strike - Orleans Server and Half-Life - Orleans Server. Drag both onto your Desktop.
Double-click Counter-Strike - Orleans Server or Half-Life - Orleans Server and it connects you straight into the Orleans squad server automatically — no setup, no config.
The other two shortcuts (just Counter-Strike and Half-Life, without "Orleans Server" in the name) are only for playing LAN games directly with a friend outside our server — you won't need those unless you're doing that separately.
Whether you're on the Counter-Strike server or jumping into Generals, you'll want to actually talk to the squad while playing. We run our own private Mumble server for this — free, encrypted end-to-end, and hosted on our own infrastructure, so it's just us, nobody else.
Get Mumble ↓No password needed — just add the server with the address and port above and connect.
Anyone can do this — no special permissions needed, just the password below. Open console (~) while connected and type:
Only needed once per session — after that, just keep typing rcon commands below.
Pick one and type it in console:
Fills whichever team needs players:
First removes one, second clears them all.