Downloading and installing PlayE4™

What do I need to do in order to start playing chess at PlayE4™?

To play the PlayE4™ online chess you will need to download and run our free software. You can easily do this by following our step-by-step guide - just click the Chess Download tab.

If you encounter any problems, please contact our support team at support@PlayE4.com

What are the optimal system requirements for running the PlayE4™ chess software?

The optimal requirements to run PlayE4™ chess software as smoothly and uninterruptedly as possible are: Pentium 1.6GHz, 32 MB of hard disk space, 256 MB of RAM, running the Windows XP operating system. For the most enjoyable gaming experience set your screen resolution to 800X600 or higher and set the screen colors to High Color (16 bit) or more.
Our software does not support Windows versions older than XP or 2000.

Can the PlayE4™ chess software run on a Mac or Linux?

Sorry, but at the present moment there are no Mac or Linux compatible PlayE4™ versions.

For Mac users only: in case you still prefer the original software, there are alternatives for having Windows installed and running on your Mac. If you have a PowerPC Mac (G3, G4 or G5), please click here for more info. If you have an Intel Mac, please click here to choose your version of a Windows booter for Intel Mac.

What should I do if I receive an "Error while connecting to server, please check your internet connection or firewall settings" message?

If you are using a firewall or any other security/antivirus software on your PC such as ZoneAlarm or Norton, it might prevent Play E4 game software to connect to the game server. You will have to disable it. These applications will usually display in the icon tray (lower right corner of the screen, next to the clock). When the mouse is over an icon, a small message will appear with the name of the program. Right click on the icon and select either Disable or Exit.
Please also make sure that the time and date of your operating system's clock are synchronized with your local time zone.
If you prefer not to disable your firewall, you can open ports 6100 - 6112 exclusively for Play E4 software, as described below:

1. From the Start menu choose Settings - Control Panel.
2. Click Windows Security Center - Windows Firewall.
3. Enter the middle tab Exceptions and click the Add port... button.
4. It should now open a new window with two empty fields. Choose a name for the server (so you can easily remember its purpose), enter 6100 in the Port field and mark TCP below.
5. Repeat these actions for ports 6101 - 6112.

You also need to verify that your Windows account has administrator privileges (otherwise, you cannot install any software). Please try the following:

1. Go to Control Panel and then User Accounts*.
2. Click Add... and make a new user account.
3. After naming your account, mark Other and assign administrator access.
4. Restart your computer and log into the new admin account.
5. Install PlayE4™.

*In case you cannot access the User Accounts feature, please contact your system administrator.

I do not see the PlayE4™ icon on my desktop. How can I find it?

You can find our software on the list of installed programs by clicking Start, choosing All Programs, then PlayE4™ and PlayE4™ again. In case it is not there, please reinstall the PlayE4™ software.

I receive a "Can't update while program is open" message - why does it occur and what should I do?

This may occur when you leave Play E4 running without logging off. When this occurs, simply restart your computer. You may also do the following:

1. Click Ctrl+Alt+Del.
2. From Task Manager press the Processes tab.
3. Right click on the PlayE4™ .exe file and choose End Process Tree.
4. Click Yes to confirm.

You will then be able to start the Play E4 chess software again by double clicking the PlayE4™ icon, which is located on your desktop.