SyncCrate
Call of Duty 2 guide · Updated
Same CoD2 maps and mods on every PC in the room.
A LAN classic, with the group's custom maps and mods on every PC before the first match. SyncCrate copies the host's .iwd and .pk3 files from the main folder, leaves the game's own files alone, and after the first time copies only what changed.
FreeOpen sourceNo cloudWin · macOS · Linux
// 01 Why
Why CoD2 LAN nights start with a USB stick
Call of Duty 2 custom maps and many mods are single .iwd files dropped into the game's main folder. That makes them easy to install, and easy to end up with a different set on every PC: someone has an older version of a map, someone else is missing the sound pack the server uses.
A server can offer files to joining players, but those downloads are slow, and a room full of players waiting for them is how the first round starts half an hour late. Players with the wrong version of a file get kicked or can't load the map.
SyncCrate makes every PC match the host. Files are compared by content, only the differences are copied, and the game's own iw_ files are never touched.
// 02 What syncs
What SyncCrate syncs for Call of Duty 2
| Folder | Path in the game folder | Files |
|---|---|---|
| Mods | main/Custom .iwd and .pk3 files in main. The game's own iw_… and localized archives are skipped, so a sync never replaces base game files. | .pk3 .iwd |
// Where it looks
- Steam
steamapps/common/Call of Duty 2in every Steam library, on every drive- Windows
C:\Program Files (x86)\Call of Duty 2- Anywhere else
- Point SyncCrate at the folder yourself, once
Built in for Call of Duty 2
- Turn mods on and off. Disabled mods move to a
_Disabledfolder the game doesn't load. - Game-running warning. SyncCrate warns you before syncing while Call of Duty 2 is still open.
- Undo and history. Undo the last sync in one click, and put back any single file a sync replaced or deleted.
// 03 How it works
Sync Call of Duty 2 in three steps
Install and add the game
Install SyncCrate on every PC and add Call of Duty 2 in the Game Browser. Its folder is found automatically.
One PC hosts
The PC with the setup everyone should have clicks Start Hosting. The others pick it under Scan for Hosts on the same network, or paste its join code from anywhere.
Compare and sync
Check the list of new, changed and conflicting files, then Sync Now. Only the files that differ are copied, PC to PC.
TipEveryone needs the game installed and on the same patch. SyncCrate copies the custom files, not the game.
// 04 Common problems
When Call of Duty 2 mods don't match
Different map versions
Two PCs with the same map name but different files can't play it together, and the error doesn't tell you which file is off.
Files are compared by hash, so every PC gets exactly the host's version.
Waiting for server downloads
In-game downloads trickle to each player one at a time while everyone else waits in the lobby.
Sync the files before the LAN starts, straight from the host at local network speed.
No internet at the venue
Old map packs come from fan sites that may be slow or gone, and a LAN venue often has no usable internet anyway.
SyncCrate finds the host on the local network and needs no internet at all.
Too many files in main
Years of downloaded maps pile up, and it's hard to tell which ones the group still plays.
The host keeps the set the group uses. When a friend's
mainhas files the host doesn't, the sync plan shows them before anything is removed.
// 05 Call of Duty 2
Good to know
- Only custom files in main sync. Configs, profiles and the game's own archives stay as they are on each PC.
- Mods in their own folder (started with
fs_game) aren't part of the sync, onlymain. - Steam or retail doesn't matter, as long as the folder layout is the usual one. SyncCrate finds Steam installs by itself; point it at other installs once.
- Dedicated server? It needs the same files. If it runs on a PC with SyncCrate, point SyncCrate at the server's folder and sync it too.
// FAQ
Call of Duty 2 questions
Where do Call of Duty 2 custom maps go?
Custom maps usually come as .iwd files that go in the main folder inside the game folder. SyncCrate syncs every custom .iwd and .pk3 there.
Will it copy the game's own files to my friends?
No. The game's own archives (iw_00.iwd and the others, and the localized ones) are skipped, so only the custom files you added are compared and copied.
Do all players need the custom map?
Yes. Every player needs the map's files to load it, either downloaded from the server or already installed. Syncing before the LAN is much faster.
Does it work without internet?
Yes. On a local network SyncCrate finds hosts by itself and copies files PC to PC.
// Related game guides
All games · SyncCrate supports 100 games.
// Free · Open source · Windows, macOS, Linux
Same Call of Duty 2 setup on every PC.
Install SyncCrate on each PC, one of you hosts, everyone else joins. No accounts, no cloud, nothing uploaded anywhere.