background-downloader
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Patch 6.0.2 background downloader
Yesterday evening the background downloader for patch 6.0.2 became active, serving up around 15GB of patch data. Shortly after the downloader became active Blizzard pulled it offline. Zarhym explains: Zarhym As some of you may have noticed the background downloader for patch 6.0.2 began today. After discovering issues with the size of the download, however, we have deactivated it for the time being. We'll let you know once when we're ready to start the 6.0.2 background downloader again, as well as provide you with some additional details on how it works and what you can expect when downloading the 6.0.2 patch in advance of its release on live realms. source It's important to note that Zarhym goes on to say that any data you did download is fine and won't mess up your patching process. There is no need to delete files or anything like that; and you should listen to what he's saying here too, don't go and delete files in your directory over this. Everything will work fine when the correct files begin to be served up again at a later date. Update: And since this was written, the background downloader has officially begun anew.
Patch 4.3: Background downloader now available
Multiple sources are confirming that the Blizzard background downloader is now beginning to download patch data for the upcoming patch 4.3, Hour of Twilight. We have been hypothesizing a release date of the next and final Cataclysm content patch around the late November/early December mark. Having the background downloader active now means that a good portion of the content for the patch has been finalized and is loading into our games as we speak. Now it is up to Blizzard to tweak numbers and encounter design rather than add new objects, art, and so forth to the patch. As we learn more about the patch and its release date, we will be sure to let you know. Brace yourselves for what could be some of most exciting updates to the game recently with patch 4.3. Review the official patch notes, and then dig into what's ahead: new item storage options, cross-realm raiding, cosmetic armor skinning and your chance to battle the mighty Deathwing -- from astride his back!
Patch 4.0.1 now available on background downloader
Good news, everyone! If you open up your World of Warcraft launcher, you might notice a line at the bottom that says, "Data for the next patch is available." Yes, it looks like patch 4.0.1 will be coming really soon. It seems like we're getting closer and closer to a release date. It looks like the first stage patch is about 1.58 GB. If you're getting ready for bed, it might not be a bad idea to open the launcher, start the game and close it in order to trigger the background download.
Cataclysm brings new launcher and patch process
Zarhym (Blizzard community manager) announced in the Cataclysm forums that the launcher as well as the patch download process will be getting overhauled as well. This new system will include a color-coded progress bar similar to a stoplight system. Zarhym There are three stages of download progress: SETUP (RED): Core game content is being prepared. You cannot enter the game at this time. AVAILABLE (YELLOW): Major game content is not completely applied. You can play, but your game experience will not be ideal. PLAYABLE (GREEN): Final game content is almost complete. You may experience a few game issues with playing at this stage. source What does this mean for players? Once you're into the yellow part of the download, you can actually log into the game and play. Things that are missing will likely be along the lines of art, model and sound files. While this might cause lag or strange graphic issues, it will allow for players to get back onto their servers faster during patch days. Those of you in the beta will see this relatively soon. However, it will require that you re-install the beta client from scratch. The full blue post and instructions after the break.
Patch 3.3.3 background downloader active
The background downloader has gone active tonight with a 77.5 MB partial file for the Patch 3.3.3 patching process. Don't expect the patch to go live tomorrow, of course (if nothing else, scheduled maintenance isn't long enough), but it looks like we may be within a few weeks of some nice new patch goodness, including the rise of DK frost dual wielding, Frozen Orbs, and the abolishment of battleground marks. For a round up of all of the changes, big and small, coming with the patch, be sure to check our Patch 3.3.3 Info page. Patch 3.3.3 brings about small but noteworthy changes to the World of Warcraft. From a faster CoT, to putting those old Frozen Orbs to better use, to changes to the auction house -- there's several things all WoW players need to know. WoW.com's Guide to Patch 3.3.3 will keep you up to date!
Patch 3.3 downloader active again
Looks like the wait for Patch 3.3 is getting even shorter now. We're getting the second chunk of data for the upcoming content patch now via our Blizzard downloader, making sure most of us are ready for patch day without having to spend the day wrangling with the downloader. The first piece of the patch, wow-partial-1.mpq, was 459 MB, and this newest piece of the patch, wow-partial-2.mpq, is 656 MB, making the total size of the patch so far 1.1 GB. That's a pretty big patch! Fitting for the wrapup of the Wrath cycle and the culmination (and fulmination) of one of the last remaining Warcraft III storylines. We'll keep you posted as either more parts of the patch drop or as the patch goes live, but in the meantime you can brush up on what you'll have in store when the patch hits by reading our Guide to Patch 3.3 or checking out our Icecrown Citadel coverage. Patch 3.3 is the last major patch of Wrath of the Lich King. With the new Icecrown Citadel 5-man dungeons and 10/25-man raid arriving soon, patch 3.3 will deal the final blow to Arthas. WoW.com's Guide to Patch 3.3 will keep you updated with all the latest patch news.
Background downloader enabled
According to Eyonix, the background downloader for patch 3.3 will begin its work soon. There were some reports that it was turned on yesterday for a short time, when it began to deliver a roughly 450mb pre-patch file. However this time, Blizzard is turning it on for good. Eyonix points out that the background downloader should provide a faster download than normal. Go into the preferences of the downloader and check "Don't throttle background download" to see the new speed in action. However, this option has often been known to interfere with WoW and other applications accessing the intertubes, so I recommend you only turn it on when you're not going to be doing a lot of online activity. This does point to patch 3.3 coming soon. Whether or not that soon is next week is too early to tell, but usually Blizzard runs the background downloader for a couple of weeks before rolling out a patch. But who knows -- we haven't heard anything yet on (or off) the record. Update: Many readers are reporting that the downloader is now active. Patch 3.3 is the last major patch of Wrath of the Lich King. With the new Icecrown Citadel 5-man dungeons and 10/25-man raid arriving soon, patch 3.3 will deal the final blow to Arthas. WoW.com's Guide to Patch 3.3 will keep you updated with all the latest patch news.
Breakfast Topic: Does the Background Downloader get you fired up?
So as you may have seen if you follow WRUP, I've been trying on and off for months to summon up the energy to get through the tournament on my Death Knight. It's not that I don't want it, but the Argent Tournament dailies just aren't my favorite. The quests are lacking life and excitement, and the lore is sort of tepid. When it comes time to solo, I find myself retreating to a leveling alt rather than doing the same old boring dailies over and over again. I'm pretty sure it's not even the repetition of dailies that's doing it either. I used to do the Shattered Sun dailies over and over all the time without a care, just because they were so much fun.But with the announcement of new dailies to be opened to people with enough faction in Patch 3.2, I've felt like I need to make that final push. However, it wasn't until a few days ago that I finally kicked myself into gear, and I'm now at a week and counting of doing my tournament dailies every day without fail. The reason? The background downloader went up.
Breakfast Topic: So when is Patch 3.2 going to hit?
As I'm sure you all know, the Patch 3.2 background downloader has appeared, that fabled herald, signaling that a new patch will finally be appearing on live servers. The PTR has been heaving, bosses have been tested, Druids are rejoicing at their fresh new forms and even more Druid lore has been revealed. Can you feel the electricity in the air yet? The crackle of an-ti-ci-pation (Rocky Horror anyone?) as the patch drip-feeds into your computer? Exciting, huh?Except it's never as easy as that, there's usually a gap between the appearance of the downloader and the patch actually going live. It's normally a couple of weeks but, well, when do you think it's going to be? We've guesstimated when it might drop in terms of months but the downloader is a sure sign that Patch 3.2 will be hitting Soon (TM). As usual we're probably not going to know for sure until the patch actually hits or we get confirmation from a Blue in the wee small hours of a Tuesday morning, but that doesn't stop a little healthy speculation now, does it? Patch 3.2 will bring about a new 5, 10, and 25 man instance to WoW, and usher in a new 40-man battleground called the Isle of Conquest. WoW.com will have you covered every step of the way, from extensive PTR coverage through the official live release. Check out WoW.com's Guide to Patch 3.2 for all the latest!
Patch 3.2 background download begins
Here's another step in patch 3.2's slow march forward: the background download has begun. The first 273 MB chunk of the patch file is now available in a Blizzard Background Downloader app near you. Blizzard has been using this method to pre-distribute parts of patches as they get finalized for quite some time now, to lessen the bandwidth strain on patch day. What does this mean for the patch's ETA? Not much, I'm afraid. All we can surmise from this is that some parts of the patch artwork are ready to go. The time between the background download becoming available and the patch going live varies widely, from less than a week to over a month. We'll just have to wait and see. [thanks, Steve] Patch 3.2 will bring about a new 5, 10, and 25 man instance to WoW, and usher in a new 40-man battleground called the Isle of Conquest. WoW.com will have you covered every step of the way, from extensive PTR coverage through the official live release. Check out WoW.com's Guide to Patch 3.2 for all the latest!
The best of WoW Insider: March 10-17, 2009
Things are hopping (as always) in World of Warcraft -- we're still waiting for an impending content patch, and the Public Test Realm (or the PTR, as we like to call it) is thriving with huge patch 3.1 changes and game updates. Even if you're not interested in World of Warcraft, the new patch is worth a look over at WoW Insider: our good friends at Blizzard are revolutionizing massively multiplayer gaming with every change they announce. News WoW Insider's Guide to Patch 3.1Everything you need to know about the upcoming patch and then some. If you only click on one WoW-related link today, make this it. New mounts for Horde fishers in 3.1To re-balance the mount outage, Horde will be able to fish up a new mount soon. Full Tier 8 armor sets beginning to emergeAll of the shinies we'll soon be pining for in the game. Ulduar achievements unveiledCheck out what Blizzard has in store for all of the new raid's hard modes. Background downloader active for patch 3.1It begins. Some parts of the new patch are ready for primetime.
Background downloader active for Patch 3.1
Patch 3.1 may be here sooner than we expect. As of this evening, people exiting WoW should see their background downloader start up in order to deliver patch 3.1 -- or at least parts of it.As to whether this means we should expect the whole shebang to go live on Tuesday, I still wouldn't bet on it. Not only have there been indications that the devs are willing to delay Noblegarden if they have to to keep testing the patch, It seems like class balancing work still has a bit to go. With this in mind, it seems most likely that what we're getting now is mostly finalized art and zone files that won't change before the patch goes live. But whether we have one more week or one more month, the preparations are underway. We're one step closer to the Argent Tournament and Ulduar![Thanks to everyone who gave us a heads up on this!] Patch 3.1 brings us Ulduar, dual specs, significant changes to all the classes, and more! We've got you covered from top to bottom with our Guide to Patch 3.1.
Extended maintenance for Patch Day
Blizzard has announced that the regular Tuesday maintenance will be extended to a lengthy 12 hours, expected in anticipation of Patch 3.0.2. The new patch, dubbed the Echoes of Doom, will introduce new talents, barber shops, the new Inscription profession, as well as numerous other changes to classes and gameplay to prepare for Wrath of the Lich King in November. The patch is a hefty one, clocking in at slightly over 1Gb, so if you haven't downloaded it yet, be sure to run Blizzard's background downloader and get all the necessary files before the big day. That way, you can hit the ground running as soon as realms come back online. Realms are scheduled to go down at 2 AM Pacific Daylight Time and should go up around 2 PM PDT. Don't worry too much about the exceptionally long 12 hour downtime. We'll keep you company.
Background downloader working as planned
Lots of people have been pointing out the activity of their background downloader. Yesterday Zarhym announced that the download would startup soon, delivering the first part of the 3.0.1 content patch.The downloader is running along for many of us – both the North American and European versions. The patch files it is downloading are between 821 and 992 megs. Be sure to let it run only overnight if you don't want any problems while you run your groups or raids. To exit the downloader, Windows users can click the Blizzard icon near the clock on the taskbar and choose "Cancel" when the window appears. Macintosh users can go to the file menu and choose "Quit" when the downloader application is in the foreground. The download will restart the next time you launch WoW.Patch 3.0.1 will bring about a ton of changes in preparation for Wrath of the Lich King. There is no announced release date yet for WotLK, nor is there a date for when 3.0.1 will go onto the live realms. However most people expect 3.0.1 to hit the live realms in a month or so, and Wrath to be released in early November. Some of the major highlights of 3.0.1 include: New class spells and talents Stormwind harbor Barbershops New Arenas A built in Guild Calendar New Hunter pet skills Inscription No more Zul'Aman bears
Background downloader primed for content patch
Zarhym announced on the forums that the next patch is coming, and it's going to be a big one. The particular of that news, however, they're going to turn on the background downloader to start its work "shortly." Shortly, in this case, means soon enough that Zarhym supplied some tips to how to control the speed of the download. We're expecting all that content they've already promised, which includes: New class spells and talents Stormwind harbor Barbershops New Arenas A built in Guild Calendar New Hunter pet skills Inscription No more Zul'Aman bears There's no patch notes yet, but it definitely seems as if we should expect them within a day or two. We know that the PTR is already getting primed for the action. This could definitely explain why the Wrath splash is showing up on the Launcher. We should see the 3.0 beta build in the PTR soon, though I guess there's a chance the build will go straight from the Wrath beta forums straight to the live realms.So, the word's pretty much out. If you have goals you want to accomplish before the content patch hits, you better get them rolling along. You don't have much longer.
Dear Blizzard: Am I your police officer?
Dear Blizzard, First of all, I really do have to thank you for changing the name of that guy called Longjohnson. Yeah, He sent us this pretty long rant about how it was unfair his name was changed, but honestly, it was a pretty clear violation of the naming policy against inappropriate references to bodily parts or functions (Sorry Jason, I'm only siding with you to a point here. Your character's name needed to be changed). That said, I'll give him this: It is pretty annoying that he was able to then proceed to the Armory and find 19 characters named Longjohnson and 60 characters named Bigjohnson. If a name is impermissible because of being profane or inappropriate on one server, it should count on them all, right? Every server has the same set of naming rules, except for RP servers, which have the extra "appropriate for an RP server" qualifier, so this shouldn't be a problem. Mike has actually observed that enforcement tends to be a bit lax in the past regarding both the naming policy and RP server policy, but I figured it was worth bringing up again.
2.4 invades the background downloader
As Adam pointed out earlier this afternoon, the changes for patch 2.4 are starting to be less and less dramatic, which may indicate that the patch is nearing completion. Here's another such indication: parts of the patch (251 MB for me) are now being sent out to the background downloader. This means that some of the patch data is finalized, and we can get those parts of the patch now instead of having to get everything on patch day.Note that the patch is not, in fact, being released today, or even necessarily next week. But I would bet that it won't be more than a few weeks until the Sunwell is upon us. And when the patch does drop, someone's going to win fabulous prizes! More importantly, I'll have some new dailies to do. Hurry it up, Blizz (but don't release it before it's ready, of course).Edit: Patch 2.3 was on the background downloader for 12 days before it was released, and 2.1 was 11 days. But 2.2 was on for over a month, so it's hard to predict for sure how this will go.[Thanks, Amarius (and multiple other tipsters)]
2.3 on the Blizzard Background Downloader
The first official installment of patch 2.3 is now available to the Blizzard Background Downloader. While it may still be several weeks until the patch is activated on the live realms, this is nonetheless a sign of hope for many players who have been eagerly anticipating the new content. I have no doubt that the patch release date guessing game will come up at least once in guild chat while I'm online tonight. (I might even be the instigator.)Many people I've grouped with in game have complained of extra latency while the Downloader is running. If you start to notice this problem while playing tonight, you can always alt-tab out and suspend the download. Also, you can always access the options for the Downloader through the WoW Launcher which, in turn, can be enabled/disabled from your login screen. Additionally, if you'd like to start downloading without starting up WoW, you can use the Background Downloader icon in the WoW folder on your hard drive. For further questions, be sure to check out the Blizzard support page for more help on the subject.
Is the background downloader a virus?
According to MVP Schwick on the EU forums, several different anti-virus scanners have started detecting the Blizzard background downloader and some patch files as malware. With as much trouble as you can get into with certain kinds of malware, this sort of alert would be bound to panic anyone. However, this one has been confirmed by Blizzard as a false alarm. For now, be sure to download the latest updates to your anti-virus scanner, and if it detects any of the following, it's likely a false positive: Trojan-PSW.Win32.WOW R/PSW.WOW.RG.3 Trojan horse PSW.Generic4.TUV However, if, after upgrading your anti-virus software, you're still getting virus messages? Report it on the tech support forums. As Blizzard EU rep Torzelyn says:Updating the Virus Scanners is removing the Trojan alert, but if your particular scanner is still flagging it as a trojan, please don't patch the game just yet. I'm sorry but I'm just wanting to be cautious. Although it appears to be a false positive, as with Kaspersky, AntiVir etc.. updating the definitions is solving the problem, I don't want to just say 'use the files' because there could still be a problem somewhere.[Via BlizzPlanet]
Breakfast Topic: Patching!
Ah... the patch distribution system. You know it and... er... love it? Well... maybe not on that last part. Blizzard has a unique system of patch distribution that I often find problematic on patch day. If you can jump on and start downloading early in the day (out of prime time), you'll often find the download quick and painless. But if you get off work, drive through traffic, come home, and login? You're much more likely to be met by a screen similar to the above. The workaround to this scenario for many seems to be grabbing patch files from 3rd party sites, but I always wonder why the patching process has to be such a headache. Of course, the background downloader application was introduced to solve some of these problems -- by allowing you to download the bulk of the patch in advance. However, it doesn't always seem to make the experience any better. But that's just my opinion -- what do you think of Blizzard's patching system?
