I made this page to clear this up for all the people who need doom.wad doom2.wad... or have an invalid version of these wads. I figure Codeimp wouldn't want to make a page like this (time issues or whatever), so here I am instead. I hope to resolve any confusion over Doom wad files on Doom Connector. If I've sent you the address to this page, I'm trying to help you, so I advise you read as much as you need on this page, until you figure out your problem.

    If you have an invalid version of doom.wad or doom2.wad, please do not host rooms on Doom Connector. It causes confusion for people who have the right wad. You may be able to figure out your problem by reading this page, however.

Missing Doom & Doom 2 Wadfiles
What's doom.wad and doom2.wad?
    doom.wad is the file that contains the maps, graphics, sound, and other data for Doom. Without this file you couldn't play the game. doom2.wad is the same thing, but for Doom 2.

Where can I get doom.wad or doom2.wad?
    You shouldn't have to worry about this if you installed Doom or Doom 2 from your CD, because it should be on the CD. If you simply don't HAVE the wad, then you must not have the game. I'm going to put this simply: if you don't have Doom, or any similar game, then there's really no reason for you to be on Doom Connector.
    People aren't supposed to be sending you these wads because technically, it's software piracy. Quit being cheap and buy the damn game. It's only $5 or $10 if you look in the right places.

But I installed it already, why is it saying I don't have it?
   Depends on what port you're using. Say you're using Legacy. You need doom or doom2.wad in your Legacy folder. Make a copy of the file and put the copy there.

But I have doom1.wad, isn't that the right version?
    NO. doom1.wad is the shareware version of Doom, which means it's only the first episode. You need the full version. It's confusing, but just remember this: doom.wad is the right version of the game... doom1.wad is not.
    I recently noticed that Codeimp put up the shareware IWAD for people to play. I suppose this isn't a bad thing. But do us all a favor and put "shareware" somewhere in the title of your room, would ya?

Invalid Doom or Doom 2 Wadfiles
What does "invalid" mean?
  The word "invalid" is a bit misleading. When you get a message saying you have an invalid doom or doom2.wad, your wad is simply a different size from the host's wad. This is why, when you create a room, you never get this message.

How do I know if my wad is invalid?
    Find another room, with a host that isn't a new person. If a person's been around Doom Connector for a month or two, they should have the right wad. Compare your wad with theirs. Try making a "test" room with the person, and let them host it and set up a game. Then, if you get the "invalid" message, your wad is probably invalid.
    Another way to check is, to open Windows Explorer (or whatever the equivalent is for your operating system) and highlight the wad to check its file size.

What's the right file size?
    The correct file size for doom.wad is 12,408,292 bytes, or 11.8 MB.
    The correct file size for doom2.wad is 14,604,584 bytes, or 13.9 MB.
    I'm certain that I have the right files, and that's their size.

...But I got the message that says "All files are OK for this game." Why are you still saying it's invalid?
    When you create a room, the game you set up uses your version of the wad. When Doom Connector checks for the correct files, it compares your files to the host's files. So obviously, if you're the host, your files will always be "OK."
    BUT... this doesn't mean you have the right wad. Please just compare it with someone as described above... then you'll know for sure.
    You may also see this if the host happens to have the same invalid wad as you do. But this doesn't mean you have the right file.

Why is my copy invalid?
    There are a number of reasons, but the most likely one is that your wad is the wrong version. My question to you now is, where did you get your wad?

.....I got it from a friend.
    You need to find out where your friend got it, then.

.....I got it from [insert website here].
    Never trust some website on this matter. The only way to get the right version for sure is from a decent CD. Don't have a CD? Like I said, quit being cheap and buy the damn game. Did you use to have a CD and lost it? Tough break, but you can't expect everyone to believe you.

.....I got it from Kazaa.
    Go away. Now. Go back to Kazaa and tell whatever idiot started circulating the invalid doom2.wad, that we're tired of their crap.
    First of all, if you had to resort to getting it off Kazaa, you're again being cheap. Buy the damn game, it's not gonna kill you.
    Why is their copy invalid? Because it's the german version. The german version of doom2.wad has levels 31 and 32 cut out because those levels are remakes of Wolfenstein 3D, a game that centered around Nazi Germany.
    Their copy has these levels cut out, therefore it's invalid. Throw that wad away, because it will only cause confusion. Throw it away, then go buy the real game. And don't read any further, because the rest of this page won't help you.

.....I got it from a CD.
   Are you sure about that? If you really got it from a CD, then it should be the right version. Sometimes, there are old versions of Doom or Doom 2 on a CD. If your wad is invalid and you installed it off a CD, you can find patches online that upgrade your wad to the correct version. The correct version is 1.9.

I'm sure it's the correct version.
    Here's another possiblity. Did you ever modify your wad? By that I mean, have you ever changed the maps, graphics, sound, etc., in your wad? This will make it invalid. Reinstall Doom / Doom 2.
    Some add-on wads will require that you "install" them by running the little batch files that come with them. These batch files usually run a program called DeuSF, which modifies the wad. If you ran one of these batch files at any time since you installed Doom or Doom 2, your wad may now be invalid. Not to worry... in the case of DeuSF it's usually easy to make your wad the right size again. Go to the command line and run "deusf -restore" on your wad. If this doesn't work, reinstall.

I swear I never modified it.
    Then I have no idea what's wrong with it. All I can say at this point is get a new CD.

Okay, I have the right version... but in some rooms, it still says invalid. wtf?
    If you're sure you have the right wad (meaning, you compared it with someone who has it and both your versions were the same), then don't worry about this. Obviously, it's the host of that particular room with the invalid wad. Remember, "invalid" is misleading. You have the right version, but since it's different from theirs, Doom Connector calls it invalid. Just play somewhere else. Or better yet, send them the address to this page so they can realize their problem!