A while ago, since I don't have that much system memory (256mB, and it's RAMBUS so a replacement stick is like a hundred goddamn dollars -_-) I ran GW with the "-image" tag so I could maybe cut down on my load times.
I did this right before I went to bed. I watched the program load up, and made sure it was actually downloading content when I hit the hay. At some point during the night (go figure) my power goes out, which understandably halts the process. Ever since this happened, "-image" (and presumably the other switch as well--I've only tried heapsize so far I think) no longer have any effect. I've tried running it from different locations, and the game acts a little differently depending on where I launch it from. I'm pretty sure "-heapsize" isn't working in any incarnation, and when I run "-image" from the desktop icon, the game never loads.
Usually, since my memory is so low, I close every other program (including explorer) and run GW from Taskmanager, which may or may not be part of the problem. I've tried writing in my switches in the "run" window from taskmanager; and while the game boots just fine, they still don't seem to be working.
So what's the deal? Should I reinstall my client or is this something I can fix?
Switches not working?
Nadia Roark
Kuldebar Valiturus
The -image switch only does anything if there are new or updated files to download, it won't download anything otherwise. In this way, you never repeatedly download something needlessly.
Could this be what you think is the problem?
I would refrain from using the -heapsize switch if you can and let the game manage its memory usage. Your job is just to ensure you don't have all the unneeded stuff running in the background.
What you could do for peace of mind is "freshen" your GW.DAT but in the following way so you won't have to download it all again:
First defrag your existing GW.DAT file.
Currently a fully updated DAT is 2.9 gig.
To get a clean Gw.dat do this:
(Make sure you have enough disk space)
1.) Run gw.exe -image to get all files. (If your installation of Guild wars is already up to date, skip this step)
2.) Then copy these folders and files (as indicated) from the GuildWars CD into a NEW folder ("GWINSTALL") on your hard drive:
Setup.exe
\Data
\Data\cdrom.ini
\Data\config.ini
\Data\Gw
\Data\Gw\GwSetup.exe
3.) After the files and folders are copied modify \Data\cdrom.ini to this:
[CDROM]
Program=Guild Wars
Chapter=
Disc=1
4.) Move your Gw.dat file to the "GWINSTALL" \Data\Gw folder
5.) Uninstall Guild Wars from Windows Control Panel
6.) Reinstall Guild Wars from the copied files on your hard drive by running setup.exe
Could this be what you think is the problem?
I would refrain from using the -heapsize switch if you can and let the game manage its memory usage. Your job is just to ensure you don't have all the unneeded stuff running in the background.
What you could do for peace of mind is "freshen" your GW.DAT but in the following way so you won't have to download it all again:
First defrag your existing GW.DAT file.
Currently a fully updated DAT is 2.9 gig.
To get a clean Gw.dat do this:
(Make sure you have enough disk space)
1.) Run gw.exe -image to get all files. (If your installation of Guild wars is already up to date, skip this step)
2.) Then copy these folders and files (as indicated) from the GuildWars CD into a NEW folder ("GWINSTALL") on your hard drive:
Setup.exe
\Data
\Data\cdrom.ini
\Data\config.ini
\Data\Gw
\Data\Gw\GwSetup.exe
3.) After the files and folders are copied modify \Data\cdrom.ini to this:
[CDROM]
Program=Guild Wars
Chapter=
Disc=1
4.) Move your Gw.dat file to the "GWINSTALL" \Data\Gw folder
5.) Uninstall Guild Wars from Windows Control Panel
6.) Reinstall Guild Wars from the copied files on your hard drive by running setup.exe
Wrath Of Dragons
Also, the game wont start when the -image command is inplace. you will need to remove it from the shortcut before the game will start