Patch 3.3.5a Known Issues

0. Introduction

Patch 3.3.5 is approximately 21mb and will change your build version from 3.3.3 (11723) to 3.3.5(12213)

At the same time a smaller patch dubbed 3.3.5a will 3.3.5(12213) to 3.3.5(12340) which is sized at 13mb

The Patch Downloaders
3.3.5 - WoW-3.3.3.11723-to-3.3.5.12213-enGB-downloader.exe (2.6mb)
3.3.5a - WoW-3.3.5.12213-to-3.3.5.12340-enGB-downloader.exe (2.6mb)

The Actual Patches
3.3.5 - WoW-3.3.3.11723-to-3.3.5.12213-enGB-patch.exe (21mb)
3.3.5a - WoW-3.3.5.12213-to-3.3.5.12340-enGB-patch.exe (13mb)

The exact size of the above files may differ depending if you have additional language packs installed.

For the most part these patch files will be downloaded into the World of Warcraft root directory.

As always we would recommend that you remove all add-ons and start fresh with new up to date downloads by deleting the WTF, Cache and Interface folders in the World of Warcraft directory when the game is closed.

When downloading new add-ons, please make sure to only download from reputable websites and never run a program to install your add-ons.

If you have any doubts about the safety of your information and the genuineness of a particular add-on we would recommend asking other players on the Interface Customization forum before downloading anything:
http://forums.wow-europe.com/board.html?forumId=11098

Add-on websites and downloads are popular targets for the creators of keyloggers and other software that can threaten the security of your account.

We have more information on account security in our sticky here:
http://forums.wow-europe.com/thread.html?topicId=35983697&sid=1

You should make absolutely sure that no old add-ons are inside the Interface folder and no old Cache files are inside the Cache folder before moving onto other troubleshooting steps as these can cause many varied issues.

In the following posts we will collect and list current known issues and solutions for downloading or applying the patch and for the game after the patch has been installed.

For assistance with in-game issues please check the In Game Support Forum here:
http://forums.wow-europe.com/board.html?forumId=18535&sid=1

Index:

0. Introduction
1. Downloading the Patch
2. Applying the Patch
3. Connection Issues after patching
4. Technical Issues in 3.3.5a
5. Graphical Issues in 3.3.5a
6. In-Game Issues and Features in 3.3.5a

1. Downloading The Patch

When downloading the patch it stops at 10% and gives me a "Downloading Failed" error message.

This error message comes about when the Blizzard Downloader is attempting to download patch data (0-10% is the Launcher download), this usually indicates that something has blocked or is preventing that patch download:
http://eu.blizzard.com/support/article.xml?locale=en_GB&articleId=41490

If you are using a software based firewall, you may need to check that the Blizzard Launcher has firewall access rights. You may also need to review any rules that you have configured, or any rules the firewall has automatically created to ensure that nothing from Blizzard is being unintentional blocked.

Temporarily disabling your firewall when patching may alleviate the problem.

When launching the game, a patch appears to begin to download but the window quickly closes and nothing else happens.

This appears to be caused by Security Software blocking the downloader. We have had specific reports regarding Norton security products. Please check your Program Control area in your Security Software and ensure that the downloader is not set to be Blocked.

The tracker is not responding

This message will appear after the downloader has checked the pre-patch content that was previously downloaded by the background downloader.
This error message indicates that the new Patch Downloader is not able to connect to our servers. This is normally due to a Firewall or Anti-Virus program or some other Internet Security Software blocking the patch downloader.
It is important to make sure that the BackgroundDownloader file is not blocked by such a program.

In addition, some players have found that old firewalls that were thought to be uninstalled still have a presence on the system that can block the downloader.

Norton and McAfee have removal tool programs which can be used to make completely sure that there are no traces of old copies of their software that could be interfering with the Blizzard Downloader. If you have had these installed previously, we would recommend that you try these tools:

Norton: http://service1.symantec.com/Support/tsgeninfo.nsf/docid/2005033108162039
McAfee: http://service.mcafee.com/FAQDocument.aspx?id=107083&lc=1033

You can also download the patches from alternate mirror sites, some of which are available in this sticky:
http://forums.wow-europe.com/thread.html?topicId=8864808586&sid=1

2. Applying the Patch

When I am trying to patch the game it just closes down at 70%

Kaspersky is known to cause this error, it is also possible that this could also be caused by other security programs present on your system as well:
http://eu.blizzard.com/support/article.xml?locale=en_GB&articleId=41491

If you have Kaspersky, right-click on the Kaspersky icon in the taskbar and disable the service. Open Launcher to start applying the patch again.

This can also be fixed by running the patch file manually:
(Note: The name of the file you need may differ depending which patch you need to install manually.)

Running the patch manually in Windows XP:

- Right-click the World of Warcraft icon on your desktop, right-click it and left-click Properties
- Click Find Target in the new window.
- In the game folder that appears, navigate to World of Warcraft\WoW-3.3.3.11723-to-3.3.5.12213-enGB-patch.exe
- Double-click this file to install the patch manually

Running the patch manually in Windows Vista or 7:

- Locate the computer Icon on your desktop, right-click it and left-click 'Open file location'.
- In the game folder that appears, navigate to World of Warcraft\WoW-3.3.3.11723-to-3.3.5.12213-enGB-patch.exe
- Right-click on this file and left-click 'Run as administrator'
- Allow any prompt you may see from Vista.

You may also find the patch folder in the following location:
C:\Users\Public\Public Documents\Blizzard Entertainment\World of Warcraft

This update requires wow.exe v3.2.2.10505. You have an older version 0.2.0.xxxx (or similar).

This error occurs when the game is attempting to patch a Beta or PTR copy of the game client.
To resolve this, ensure that any Beta and/or PTR client folders are completely removed before applying the patch.

The file "wow.exe" cannot be found

This error occurs on Windows Vista (and 7) when the patching process cannot locate the World of Warcraft game executable or when it does not have permission to run.

To resolve it, first navigate to your World of Warcraft folder (to find this you can right click on the icon and click Open File Location).
In there, look for the file Wow with a W icon.
Right click on the Wow file and choose properties, then select the Compatibility tab and choose Run as Administrator
Then double click on it to launch the game.

Try to login and you should receive the message that a patch has been downloaded and you must restart. If you click that the patch should apply. If you get the message “Failed to Apply Patch” instead, then follow the steps below.


Failed to Apply Patch

This error usually appears when the patch is unable to launch in most cases due to security problems. Please make sure that you are logged into the computer as an administrator. In the majority of cases we have seen have been due to UAC feature in Windows Vista and 7.
Please refer to the following support page for more information:
http://eu.blizzard.com/support/article.xml?locale=en_GB&articleId=21474


Waiting for files to close

This issue happens if one or more of your game files are open. Windows locks it so you can't overwrite it. You need to close them first before the patcher can continue. Load up the Task Manager by pressing the Control+Alt+Delete keys; make sure none of these are running in the Processes tab:

WoW.exe
Launcher.exe
BackgroundDownloader.exe
Repair.exe
WowError.exe

If any of those are running, try ending the task. The patch should continue afterward:
http://eu.blizzard.com/support/article.xml?locale=en_GB&articleId=24233


The file "<SOMETHING>" could not be renamed to "<SOMETHING>". (ConflictManager::ResolveConflicts/3) or could not be deleted. (ConflictManager::UncreateObjects) or similar

In order to resolve this error please restart the computer then run the patch manually:

Running the patch manually in Windows XP:

- Right-click the World of Warcraft icon on your desktop, right-click it and left-click Properties
- Click Find Target in the new window.
- In the game folder that appears, navigate to World of Warcraft\WoW-3.3.3.11723-to-3.3.5.12213-enGB-patch.exe
- Double-click this file to install the patch manually

Running the patch manually in Windows Vista or 7:

- Locate the computer Icon on your desktop, right-click it and left-click 'Open file location'.
- In the game folder that appears, navigate to World of Warcraft\WoW-3.3.3.11723-to-3.3.5.12213-enGB-patch.exe
- Right-click on this file and left-click 'Run as administrator'
- Allow any prompt you may see from Vista.

You may also find the patch folder in the following location:
C:\Users\Public\Public Documents\Blizzard Entertainment\World of Warcraft


If you continue to get the error message please ensure that you have disabled any security software such as the Spybot Search and Destroy TeaTimer module or Google Desktop.

Should you have any difficulty's removing the Google Desktop tool, please refer to the following weblink:
http://desktop.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=12354

You can also try the above steps in Safe mode, the following support article details how to boot into safemode:
http://eu.blizzard.com/support/article.xml?articleId=19393


Errors applying the patch

If you encounter one of the following errors during patching, this is usually due to some corrupt, or extra patch files in your World of Warcraft directory.

Check for any files called patch-2.mpq or patch-X.mpq where X could be a number or letter in the following directories in your World of Warcraft installation folder:

Data
Data\enGB\
Data\xxXX\ for any other language packs you may have installed.

Q u o t e:
The patch "base\component.wow-data.txt" could not be applied. (CRC mismatch: expected 0xd85455a6, actual 0x88318a52.) If this problem persists, you may be able to solve it by uninstalling and then reinstalling the game. If you are unable to correct this problem, please contact Blizzard Technical Spport. (BNUPdate::PTCApply)To check this installation for problems, click the "Repair" button. The Repair tool can automatically fix many update errors.

Q u o t e:

The patch "enGB-hdfiles\Data\enGB\Credits.html" could not be applied. (Invalid source file size: expected 28219, actual 27939.) ...

Q u o t e:
This application has encountered a critical error:

ERROR #131 (0x85100083) File Corrupt
Program: C:\Program Files\World of Warcraft\WoW.exe
File: character\troll\male\trollmale.m2

Q u o t e:
This application has encountered a critical error:

ERROR #121 (0x85100079) Version Mismatch
Program: C:\Program Files\World of Warcraft\WoW.exe

DBFilesClient\BattlemasterList.dbc has wrong number of columns (found 32, expected 33)

Q u o t e:
The patch "base\signaturefile" could not be applied. (Invalid source file size: expected 2089956, actual 2087681.)...

If you continue to see these errors during patching then it is most likely that your game client is seriously damaged, you may be able to resolve the problem by reverting the game back to an earlier version as explained in our FAQ article here:
http://eu.blizzard.com/support/article.xml?articleId=19671#revert

After doing this you will need to reapply some patches, but if you still receive the same error, it will be necessary to completely un-install and reinstall the game.

Q u o t e:

The file "C:\Program Files\World of Warcraft\Wow.exe.temp" could not be renamed to "C:\Program Files\World of Warcraft\Wow.exe". If this problem persists, you may be able to solve it by uninstalling and then reinstalling the game. If you are unable to correct this problem, please contact Blizzard Technical Support. (ConflictManager::ResolveConflicts/2)
The file "C:\Program Files\World of Warcraft\Wow.exe.temp" could not be deleted. (ConflictManager::UncreateObjects)
To check this installation for problems, click the "Repair" button. The Repair tool can automatically fix many update errors.

In the majority of cases we have seen, anti-virus software installed (NOD32, Security Suit) is blocking the patch from renaming and updating files it is using during the patching process. Try updating your virus definitions, temporarily disable your AV program, or manually install the patch in safe mode:
http://eu.blizzard.com/support/article.xml?locale=en_GB&articleId=41496

Q u o t e:
The file "C:\ProgramData\Blizzard Entertainment.temp" could not be renamed to "C:\ProgramData\Blizzard Entertainment".

This is most often a permissions issue in that the original folder name was not available for the patch, in the majority of reported cases this seems to happen with Windows Vista and Windows 7

- Select the Windows Icon then, or the Windows Key + R on the keyboard
- Type CMD, then press Enter
- In the command window type MD "c:\ProgramData\Blizzard Entertainment" then press enter

Make sure to include the quotes

Should you encounter an Access Denied error, navigate to Start > All Programs > Accessories and Right-Click on Command Prompt and select Run as Administrator, then repeat the last step mentioned above to create the folder on your hard disk, if successful attempt to run the patch again.

3. Connection Issues after patching

Unable to Connect (Norton Internet Security users)

For those using this firewall and experiencing some issues trying to connect to the game, please follow the instructions on our FAQ here:
http://eu.blizzard.com/support/article.xml?articleId=21477


Unable to connect after patching the game?

Please visit our FAQ article here:
http://eu.blizzard.com/support/article.xml?articleId=19459


My characters are naked, or are called Unknown Entity

Please Visit our FAQ article here:
http://eu.blizzard.com/support/article.xml?articleId=19465


When connecting to the game I am getting disconnected straight away

In a majority of cases we have discovered, that this can be caused when out-of-date add-ons are installed and are running. The patch introduced vast changes to the game and a large majority of add-ons will no longer work correctly.


Disconnections in Northrend

We have recently received some reports from our players who are experiencing disconnections, especially when entering Dalaran, or when attempting to speak to some of the flight masters located in Northrend.

In a majority of cases, add-ons where found to be the cause, namely “Questhelper”. It is recommended that if you have this add-on installed that you either disable it or remove it completely.

Locate your World of Warcraft folder and delete the WTF, Cache and Interface folders completely, make sure you remove these folders when the game is closed down.

New Port Numbers

As of the latest patch, World of Warcraft can now use multiple port numbers, while the main port numbers required are still TCP/UDP port 3724 and TCP Port 1119, you can also now use the following TCP ports in addition: 4000, 6112, 6113, 6114.

4. Technical Issues in 3.3.5a

1. This message may appear when you run the game:

Q u o t e:
This application has encountered a critical error:

Program: D:\Games\World of Warcraft\WoW.exe
File: DBFilesClient\BattlemasterList.dbc

DBFile errors are usually from old or mismatched game files and will happen after running a backup program, or System Restore. Please delete the World of Warcraft folder and reinstall the game. You can also try reverting the game if you want but future patches may run into errors. To revert the game follow these steps:
http://eu.blizzard.com/support/article.xml?articleId=19671#revert

Keep in mind that if you have the Wrath of the Lich King DVD, that can be used to reinstall the entire game from scratch.

If you have Windows Vista or Windows 7, and your game is installed in the Program Files folder, you may have an old game file somewhere in your VirtualStore folder. Go to the World of Warcraft folder and see if you have a Compatibility Files button on your Windows Explorer window. If you do, check inside and see if you have older stuff there.

2. When starting the game from the WOW.exe, I get an error that says:

Q u o t e:
Windows cannot access the specified device, path, or file. You may not have the appropriate permissions to access the item

This is because the ownership permissions of that file have been changed and you no longer have the required rights to use that file.

First of all make sure that your logged in as the computers administrator.

How to take ownership of a file or folder - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308421

**Norton users: Please make sure your Norton Anti-Virus software suite is updated to the latest version and configured to allow World of Warcraft, Battle.Net and the Blizzard Downloader. Feel free to use the link below to update your software:

http://updatecenter.norton.com/?NUCLANG=en

If this does not help then try the following steps:
To update it and correct the permissions, it is recommended that you;

1) Uninstall the Norton product you have installed, then run the Norton Removal Tool (http://service1.symantec.com/Support/tsgeninfo.nsf/docid/2005033108162039?OpenDocument),
2) Re-take ownership of the World of Warcraft folder (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308421),
3) Delete the corrupted wow.exe file located in your game folder then run the Blizzard repair tool with the "Reset and Check Files" option.
4) Test the game to see if it runs without error.
5) Reinstall the newest version of Norton product you use (http://updatecenter.norton.com/)

5. Graphical Issues in 3.3.5a


1. Changes to the D3D engine

With the release of patch 3.3.0 we introduced an new experimental feature to the D3D graphics engine to improve texture management (particularly on Windows XP). This is currently disabled by default and can be changed by adding the following line to your Config.WTF file:

SET gxApi "d3d9ex"

If you own an ATI video card and have experienced random Error 134 crashes, especially flying out of Dalaran, this mode will help you. It may also help some of the more elusive Out of Memory crashes that can occur on other hardware.

You can revert it back by simply removing the above added line from your Config.wtf file

If you do not own a ATI card, you are more than welcome to test to see if this helps any graphical problems your experiencing.

Also, the configuration variable ‘textureCacheSize’ is no longer used with the new backend. To set the cache size for the new backend, adjust the ‘gxTextureCacheSize’ variable. For example, to allow 128MB of GPU memory to be used for textures, add the following line to your Config.WTF file:

SET gxTextureCacheSize "128"

If ‘gxTextureCacheSize’ is set to 0, the client will try to pick a reasonable default value for your settings.


Patch notes:

Q u o t e:
Graphics

- A new feature has been added to the D3D graphics engine to improve texture management (particularly for Windows XP users). If you are experiencing random crashes related to file read errors or out of memory, this new backend may help. To enable the new backend, add the following line to your Config.WTF file: SET gxApi "d3d9ex".

2. UI and display problems with Intel GMA 965 and Windows Vista

People using the Intel GMA 965 video card on Windows Vista may see UI corruption, missing buttons and swirls on their screen. To fix this issue, you will need to make sure that you are using a 2009 video driver.

More information can be found here:
http://eu.blizzard.com/support/article.xml?locale=en_GB&articleId=39410

3. FrameRate Cap introduced with patch 3.3.3

A maximum capacity of 200 frames per second has been added. To disable the frame rate limit, the following line should be added to the Config.wtf file: SET maxFPS "0".

6. In-Game Issues and Features in 3.3.3

Nothing yet..