DedSec WD2 Fix

A PowerShell script that automates the community-known Watch Dogs 2 multiplayer connection fix.

Disclaimer: This script modifies system firewall rules, process CPU affinity, and a local game config file. Use at your own risk, and make sure you understand what each step does before running it. A backup of your WD2_GamerProfile.xml is created automatically before any edit.

What it does

Step	Action	Automated?
1	Waits for upc.exe (Ubisoft Connect) to launch, then sets its CPU affinity to total cores - 1 (always leaves at least 1 core free)	✅ Yes
2	Creates a Windows Firewall outbound rule blocking WatchDogs2.exe from reaching the internet	✅ Yes
3	Edits WD2_GamerProfile.xml to set OnlineHacking="0" (backs up the original file first)	✅ Yes
4	Adds -eac_launcher as a launch argument (disables the anti-cheat)	❌ Manual — must be set inside Ubisoft Connect's UI

Requirements

• Windows 10/11
• PowerShell (built-in)
• Administrator privileges (needed for firewall rule creation and process affinity)
• Watch Dogs 2 installed via Ubisoft Connect

How to run

1. Right-click DedSec_WD2_Fix.ps1 → Run with PowerShell
2. If Windows blocks execution due to script policy, open PowerShell as Administrator and run:

   Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope Process -ExecutionPolicy Bypass

   then run the script again (or execute it via .\DedSec_WD2_Fix.ps1 from that same PowerShell window)
3. Accept the UAC prompt (the script requires admin rights)
4. Launch Ubisoft Connect if it isn't already running — the script will wait up to 60 seconds for upc.exe to appear
5. When prompted, confirm or paste the correct path to WatchDogs2.exe (default assumed path is shown on screen)
6. Follow the on-screen instructions for the final manual step (launch argument)

Important notes

• Step 1 (CPU affinity) must be repeated every time Ubisoft Connect restarts. You can automate this fully by scheduling the script to run at Windows startup via Task Scheduler.
• Always launch the game directly from Ubisoft Connect, not from a desktop or Start Menu shortcut — the community fix reportedly doesn't work otherwise.
• If you ever want to revert the XML change, restore it from the auto-generated backup: WD2_GamerProfile.xml.dedsec_backup (found in the same folder as the original file).
• To remove the firewall rule later, open Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security → Outbound Rules → delete DedSec_Block_WatchDogs2.

Files

• DedSec_WD2_Fix.ps1 — the automation script