What is official size of GW.dat file at the moment? - Guild Wars Guru archive powered by Guild Wars Legacy

Lex

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Dec 2005

28 Dec 2006 at 02:06 - 1

In this thread Gaile said:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gaile Gray

I was asked about this earlier, and here's the official response from Mike O'Brien: The full Gw.dat file size is currently about 2.7 GB. Anyone whose Gw.dat file is larger than that is suffering from an old bug where space wasn't being reused efficiently. That bug was fixed in March. People with larger Gw.dat files should see them stay the same or slowly shrink over time.

But it was a few months ago. What is the official size of GW.dat file now?

Before Wintersday event, mine was like 3450MB, now it's like 3650MB - so +200MB during last week...

Rakeris

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Jan 2006

Illinois

Feners Reve

28 Dec 2006 at 02:16 - 2

Haha, I just redownloaded it all, and mine is over 6GB...Woot?

Whiplashr

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Jan 2006

28 Dec 2006 at 06:37 - 3

Hmm, I redownloaded all mine about a month ago, and played actively since then, and mine is 3.52gb.

Lex

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Dec 2005

28 Dec 2006 at 08:43 - 4

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rakeris

Haha, I just redownloaded it all, and mine is over 6GB...Woot?

hmm.. wierd

Quote:

Originally Posted by Whiplashr

Hmm, I redownloaded all mine about a month ago, and played actively since then, and mine is 3.52gb.

Close to mine then.

Njaiguni Blaze

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: May 2006

The Netherlands

The Biggyverse [PLEB]

Me/

28 Dec 2006 at 09:41 - 5

Everyone's .dat file is different. Mine is 4.38 GB atm. It all comes down in wether you download it all in one go, or let it be updated everytime you log in or zone to an area. You can try to make it smaller by uinstalling, and when you reinstall it, as soon as it starts downloading, close the program. Then right click the shortcut, select Properties and put in " -image" at the end of the command line. In a way the command line will look like: "C:\Program Files\Guild Wars\Gw.exe" -image
This will download everything in one time and then will close the program. To play the game, delete the -image part and you are ready to go.

Rakeris

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Jan 2006

Illinois

Feners Reve

28 Dec 2006 at 14:01 - 6

That is what I did Njaiguni, was quite strange. I was going to try it again next time I go to the local net cafe. (As I'm on dial up) Hopefully it won't be so big...

Lex

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Dec 2005

28 Dec 2006 at 17:29 - 7

@Njaiguni Blaze: I know the way to download full image

but

Quote:

Originally Posted by Njaiguni Blaze

You can try to make it smaller by uinstalling

as you see here

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rakeris

Haha, I just redownloaded it all, and mine is over 6GB...Woot?

why reinstall makes it.. hmm.. bigger in some cases?

My case is similar to Whiplashr's one.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Whiplashr

Hmm, I redownloaded all mine about a month ago, and played actively since then, and mine is 3.52gb.

I didnt do -image (as him) but I play GW a lot: 4-5h/day on average since 1st GW's release - I have all three continents explored.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rakeris

That is what I did Njaiguni, was quite strange. I was going to try it again next time I go to the local net cafe. (As I'm on dial up) Hopefully it won't be so big...

Yes, this is really weird. I've heard about some bug (which makes dat file larger) but it should have been already corrected in March (according to what Gaile said).

Njaiguni Blaze

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: May 2006

The Netherlands

The Biggyverse [PLEB]

Me/

28 Dec 2006 at 17:45 - 8

Maybe it was installed from the cd? I dunno. Why does it matter, if I may ask?

Linda Heartilly

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Mar 2006

Gameamp Guides [AMP]

W/Mo

28 Dec 2006 at 18:30 - 9

Quote:

Originally Posted by Njaiguni Blaze

Maybe it was installed from the cd? I dunno. Why does it matter, if I may ask?

Don't be like that... everyone can understand that 4 is greater than 3 and that that, combined with the fact that not everyone runs 4x600GB in RAID2, makes it matter to some people.

Lex

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Dec 2005

28 Dec 2006 at 18:40 - 10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Linda Heartilly

combined with the fact that not everyone runs 4x600GB in RAID2, makes it matter to some people.

You get my point. I'm on 20GB HDD

and dont have plans to upgrade now - I have a lot of other expenses.

I still have a few GB of free space but just looking at this file

When I did full install of GW for first time it was like/below 1GB

logan90

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: May 2005

28 Dec 2006 at 19:21 - 11

I've got a 3.31GB GW.dat, and that inlcudes every file fully downloaded and decompressed using -image. I would say that is probably pretty close to the official size. I only reinstalled 2 months ago so I probably don't have previous events as they were probably removed from the download server after they finished, which could be the extra you have.

aeroclown

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: May 2005

Louisiana

E/Mo

28 Dec 2006 at 21:21 - 12

3.58 been installed since the First World Preview Event of chapter 1

sykoone

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Dec 2005

Mystical Chaos

E/

28 Dec 2006 at 21:36 - 13

I use the -image switch at every update (even the minor ones) to keep load times down, and my dat file is at 2.93.

eightyfour-onesevenfive

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Sep 2005

7??13'35" E - 50??06'27" N

Servants of Fortuna [SoF]

28 Dec 2006 at 23:05 - 14

I'm at ~2.8GB after an "-image" download.

Fluffyx

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Jul 2005

Courtney PantsuLand

Death By Teazu [TEA]

W/Mo

29 Dec 2006 at 03:42 - 15

2.8gb After a clean install on my new laptop. This was through the Nightfall CDs.

Relambrien

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Jan 2006

Delaware, USA

Error Seven Operators [Call]

W/

29 Dec 2006 at 03:50 - 16

2.9GB here, after a full reinstall around early October, I think, with -image. And every update thereafter with -image as well.

Gimme Money Plzkthx

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Jul 2006

29 Dec 2006 at 03:51 - 17

3.168 GB, never used -image.

shivanSoule

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Apr 2006

29 Dec 2006 at 03:59 - 18

2.77 GB, reinstalled last month with -image.

Njaiguni Blaze

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: May 2006

The Netherlands

The Biggyverse [PLEB]

Me/

29 Dec 2006 at 04:18 - 19

Quote:

Originally Posted by Linda Heartilly

Don't be like that... everyone can understand that 4 is greater than 3 and that that, combined with the fact that not everyone runs 4x600GB in RAID2, makes it matter to some people.

Well, I wouldn't call 70 GB that much neither. And the stats of my PC aren't all that, but I can play fine. If i knew this was about a 20GB harddrive I would know more. But anyways, as you see, someone did an image install with the NF cd and got it to 2.8. Good luck.

-.-

Banned

Join Date: Oct 2006

29 Dec 2006 at 06:10 - 20

3.56 GB is what mine is at.

Lex

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Dec 2005

05 Jan 2007 at 18:28 - 21

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rakeris

Haha, I just redownloaded it all, and mine is over 6GB...Woot?

Quote:

Originally Posted by sykoone

I use the -image switch at every update (even the minor ones) to keep load times down, and my dat file is at 2.93.

This fact is very intriguing.

If two persons (and rest mentioned above) are using build-in-game command to do the same and download all the data why there is so big difference?

A question to others: my file is still around 3640MB - did you notice any differences in your GW.dat file's size after this week period?

Cataclysm

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Mar 2006

The Lost Dynasty [SEEK]

W/Mo

05 Jan 2007 at 21:18 - 22

As of today, at 5 days of having GW installed on a new comp. GW.dat is 4.7GB

Chilly Ress

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Oct 2005

Kinetic Fusion [kF]

Me/

05 Jan 2007 at 22:03 - 23

3.2gb here

This is on a brand new comp with the -image tag.

jimmy_logic

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Sep 2005

R/

06 Jan 2007 at 16:59 - 24

2.96GB on a dat from original Prophecies days. Always use -image before I play. I find it fluctuates depending on what you do in the game... the more you switch characters the bigger it gets. When I did that it grew by 300MB then when I played one character it dropped back to what it was before.

Weird.

logan90

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: May 2005

06 Jan 2007 at 22:31 - 25

I posted how big my GW.dat was already(3.31GB), but now it has changed. About a week ago I noticed it was now 3.04GB. It had gone down by 0.27GB. It since went up by 0.01GB to 3.05GB.

Omega X

Ninja Unveiler

Join Date: Jun 2005

Louisiana, USA

Boston Guild[BG]

W/Me

06 Jan 2007 at 22:59 - 26

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimmy_logic

2.96GB on a dat from original Prophecies days. Always use -image before I play. I find it fluctuates depending on what you do in the game... the more you switch characters the bigger it gets. When I did that it grew by 300MB then when I played one character it dropped back to what it was before.

Weird.

Could most likely be User Information and Character Information caches saved over time so that the game does not have to reload them from the server.

My dat as of now is 3.09GBs with two separate accounts played on one machine.

Omega X

Ninja Unveiler

Join Date: Jun 2005

Louisiana, USA

Boston Guild[BG]

W/Me

06 Jan 2007 at 23:01 - 27

Double POST.

(I HATE this forum software, a lot of money for nothing.)

Njaiguni Blaze

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: May 2006

The Netherlands

The Biggyverse [PLEB]

Me/

07 Jan 2007 at 04:12 - 28

So, the conclusion is: there is no and never will be an official size.

Tachyon

Forge Runner

Join Date: Nov 2005

Stoke, England

The Godless [GOD]

W/

07 Jan 2007 at 04:36 - 29

Just ran an -image and mine is at 2.82GB.

Aqualung

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Jan 2007

07 Jan 2007 at 04:43 - 30

I've read this thread Yesterday, noticed that my gw.dat was 7gb long, deleted and re-downloaded it today. Now it's 9.3gb, and I really think it's messing up my loadings, sometime they take 20 secs, sometimes 3 minutes. I can't really understand what is happening. I have 256mb RAM, but I don't think that's really the cause, since I've played in a machine with the same specs and the loads took like 20 segs (Like my machine does sometimes). And I've read about some people with bugged GW.dat who screws their load times.

Anyone knows anyway to fix that? I know I need more RAM, but it cannot be THAT difference from 512mb to 256mb, like 2m30s.

Tachyon

Forge Runner

Join Date: Nov 2005

Stoke, England

The Godless [GOD]

W/

07 Jan 2007 at 05:09 - 31

You'd be surprsied at how much difference more RAM would make. For instance, if you're using Windows XP then that alone can suck up nearly 200MB of your RAM.

Aqualung

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Jan 2007

07 Jan 2007 at 05:27 - 32

But that much difference? I really can't believe.

Bane of Worlds

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Mar 2006

Meadow

Rt/

07 Jan 2007 at 05:46 - 33

Mine is setting at 2.76GB and this was a clean install that I did from the Nightfall DVD. It has all the updates as of Jan 6, 2007 and was reinstalled near the halloween event.

Make sure that you delete the gw folder in program files but move your screens or templates out before deleting the folder after the uninstall.
Then do your reinstall and redownload all the updates.

Omega X

Ninja Unveiler

Join Date: Jun 2005

Louisiana, USA

Boston Guild[BG]

W/Me

07 Jan 2007 at 07:46 - 34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aqualung

I've read this thread Yesterday, noticed that my gw.dat was 7gb long, deleted and re-downloaded it today. Now it's 9.3gb, and I really think it's messing up my loadings, sometime they take 20 secs, sometimes 3 minutes. I can't really understand what is happening. I have 256mb RAM, but I don't think that's really the cause, since I've played in a machine with the same specs and the loads took like 20 segs (Like my machine does sometimes). And I've read about some people with bugged GW.dat who screws their load times.

Anyone knows anyway to fix that? I know I need more RAM, but it cannot be THAT difference from 512mb to 256mb, like 2m30s.

Did you try deleting the client program and downloading a copy from the Guild Wars website?

jimmy_logic

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Sep 2005

R/

07 Jan 2007 at 08:25 - 35

I always install using the most latest CD/DVD from Arena and then run the game with the -image straight after. Although when the setup program commences the update after installing the .dat from the CD/DVD I cancel that and then run the -image switch.

Regards

Aqualung

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Jan 2007

07 Jan 2007 at 09:56 - 36

Quote:

Originally Posted by Omega X

Did you try deleting the client program and downloading a copy from the Guild Wars website?

No I didn't, I just deleted the gw.dat and let it redownload again. I'll delete everything now.

Rakeris

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Jan 2006

Illinois

Feners Reve

07 Jan 2007 at 17:15 - 37

It seems it is based on some extent on how fast you download? Or how many "sessions" you download it in. As I recently went to a friends house, brought my PC and downloaded all of the GW.dat in around 2 hours. Which was 3.6GB. Where on dial up, I was downloading it every night (switching the GW.dat file from my old one to a new one every night) and it was up to nearly 4GB and was only around half way done.

ObiWan07

Academy Page

Join Date: Jan 2006

07 Jan 2007 at 18:00 - 38

The size of the Gw.dat depends on your download speed.

We had a long thread on the german guild-wars.info forum months ago:
http://guildwars-forum.onlinewelten....d.php?t=102612

To get a clean Gw.dat do this:
(Make sure you have enouth hd space)

Run gw.exe -image to get all files.

Then copy this files from the GuildWars CD into an new folder on your hd:

Code:

Setup.exe
\Data
\Data\cdrom.ini
\Data\config.ini
\Data\Gw
\Data\Gw\GwSetup.exe

Modify \Data\cdrom.ini to this:

Code:

[CDROM]
Program=Guild Wars
Chapter=
Disc=1

Move your Gw.dat in the \Data\Gw folder

Deinstall Guild Wars

Reinstall Guild Wars from the copied files on your hd.

Aqualung

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Jan 2007

07 Jan 2007 at 23:43 - 39

Thanks ObiWan07, reduced the file from 9gb to 2.6gb.

upier

Grotto Attendant

Join Date: Mar 2006

Done.

[JUNK]

08 Jan 2007 at 10:19 - 40

super dooper thanks obi!
my file size was 5+ gigs - now it shrank to the normal 2.7!
thanks again!