Call of Duty 4 Modern Warfare "Couldn't load image" error Thread

Game: Call of Duty Modern Warfare 1
Category: Custom content error
Topic: Error while running custom maps

Hello guys

I might be a bit late with questions concerning Call of Duty Modern Warfare 1 but still, this one bothers me alot.

So basically I've been searching for custom maps for my clan (better call it a bunch of friends who try to have some fun) to play some other maps than the default ones of the game. I downloaded around 8-9 maps and tried to install them. I made a usermaps folder in the main directory of the game and placed the folders with the required files in there (the two .ff's and the.iwd file) and then started the game and typed "/map mp_mapname" in the console ("^") and pressed enter but nothing happened.

I did some random research and figured out that this was the method for servers and since we are playing over LAN mostly and have no server at all I tried another method that said I should put the two .ff files in the zone/language (for me its english) folder. I started the game, entered "/map mp_mapname" pressed enter and it attempted to load but the only thing that appears isn't some fancy loadscreen but a black screen followed by an error sound and this message:

After that my lovely game crashes. This happens for all the custom maps I have downloaded and appearantly it works for other people on the internet. The mappack coming with 1.6 are working fine, of course. As the error says something is wrong with the loadscreen images, but how do I fix this?

I am running :

Call of Duty : Modern Warfare on version 1.7
Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit
AMD Phenom II X6
4GB RAM
nVidia 460 GT on driver version 8.17.12.5896
Direct X11

The list of custom maps I have tried out if anyone uses them:

mp_subway
mp_burg
mp_docks_n
mp_crowfortv2
mp_haus
mp_gisland
mp_favela

Loading the default maps over the console works just fine.

If you need more useless information or have the solution, don't hesitate to write in here, it is really important to me.
Thanks in advance!

EDIT: When I delete or rename the laodscreen file I get the smae type of error, saying it couldn't load the image "compass" , so I assume the navigation files are messed up. Is there any way to fix this?

Edited by: Drown_

To run custom maps you must run a mod as well. You don't have to actual run a mod - it's the mod folder that is important, as COD4 is split into a "ranked" game, and an "unranked" game. When you run from a mod folder, the game switches to "unranked" mode, and then the "usermaps" folder is accessible.

A typical command line for a modded/unranked game is:

[your_cod4_root_install] iw3mp.exe +set fs_game mods/modofyourchoice +set dedicated 2 +set net_ip XX.XXX.XX.XX +set net_port 28961 +exec yourconfigfile.cfg +set sv_punkbuster 1 +map_rotate

Add a map rotation of your server config file, and list your cusotm maps in it.

If you want to run a local server just to test a map, go to the main menu, click on the "mods" button, and select a mod, click accept and let the game switch to modded/unranked mode. Then, drop down console and type in your map:

/map mp_mapname

Press enter, and the map will load.

Okay, thanks a lot, I managed to launch it via ModWarfare and it works fine with my friends over the local mode! Though some maps still give other errors, but that's due to sloppy compiling I guess, they work.

Modwarfare is known for giving errors to a lot of custom maps, because most custom maps need a "fixed" version of _teams.gsc (I was the one who first released this fix for custom maps when COD4 was released back in 2007 as I worked on the COD4 mod tools with Infinity Ward) which modwarfare doesn't have. It's best to use the IW supplied mod customMaps.iwd (comes with the COD4 mod tools) rather than modwarfare, but modwarfare does at least give you all the classes unlocked right off the bat, so it's good for giving you everything.

If you don't have the "fixed" version of _teams.gsc, very often you don't spawn properly on custom maps which use the woodland character set, and you get the "gun in face" problem.

Okay, that sounds very impressive, anyways making the usermaps folder plus moving the IWD in the modwarfare folder make as good as all custom maps who gave errors work. Though I know who to contact if I've got problems installing maps/mods again. Thanks alot!