#1 - Jan. 11, 2011, 6:29 p.m.
A: Player Kaydeethree has written an excellent step-by-step guide and posted it on Wowpedia:
http://www.wowpedia.org/Accessing_the_public_test_realm
Q: Will installing the PTR have any effect on my live wow client?
A: No. The PTR installs as its own version and will be located inside the "World of Warcraft Public Test" folder in your World of Warcraft directory.
Q: What should I do before installing the PTR?
A: Delete your old "World of Warcraft Public Test" folder. Many problems can be caused by overwriting old test data with new test data:
Q: Where do I download the PTR from?
A: You can download the PTR client from your Battle.net account management: https://eu.battle.net/account/management/download/
Q: The Blizzard downloader is not working.
A: Check here for troubleshooting the downloader:
http://eu.blizzard.com/support/article.xml?locale=en_GB&articleId=19614
Q: I downloaded the PTR now what do I do?
A: You need to run the file you downloaded to install the PTR files.
Q: I get an error “Unable to initialize storage.”
A: You either do not have enough hard drive space, or you do not have permission to write to the hard drive that the PTR installer is currently trying to install to. Move the PTR installer file to your World of Warcraft directory and try running it again.
Q: I get a version error when installing.
A: First make sure you have the latest version of WoW by connecting to the live realms. If the error continues then move the installer to your World of Warcraft Directory and run it from there.
Q: Once I have it installed, how do I start the PTR?
A: You should have a separate Launcher for the PTR inside your "World of Warcraft Public Test" folder. Alternately you can start it via the wow.exe inside the same folder.
Q: I keep downloading the same patch over and over, what is wrong?
A: This is normal, as updates are made to the PTR more patches are required. Just be patient and keep going, once they are all installed you will be able to play.
Q: Why does it say my password is wrong when I try to login?
A: If you've changed the password on your account within the last 3 weeks, you won't be able to log onto the Public Test Realms. You can try to use your old password, but there's no guarantee that it will work.
Q: How do I re-install the PTR?
A: Follow these steps:
1. Delete the "World of Warcraft Public Test" folder from your World of Warcraft Directory.
2. Go to your Battle.net account management download page: https://eu.battle.net/account/management/download/
3. Download and run the appropriate installer.
Q: How do I un-install the PTR?
A: Delete the "World of Warcraft Public Test" folder from your World Of Warcraft Directory.
Q: I’ve done everything and I still can’t get on the PTR, can you help me?
A: This FAQ and the linked guides are the only source of technical support for the PTR, if your problem is outside the scope of these documents then you may not be able to participate in the PTR.