World of Warcraft Background Downloader

Designed to do away with those boring wait times while downloading new patch’s the background downloader for WoW will download new data as it comes available while the user is playing the game. A little icon will appear in the system try to notify players that the download has started. What about lag you ask? well don’t worry as the data is streamed at a very slow rate into a new folder that is created in the World of Warcraft installation directory. When a patch is released users already have most of new data available and need only to download a very small amount to be able to run the patch.

Click the link to view WoWs Q&A on the subject.

Designed to do away with those boring wait times while downloading new patch’s the background downloader for WoW will download new data as it comes available while the user is playing the game. A little icon will appear in the system try to notify players that the download has started. What about lag you ask? well don’t worry as the data is streamed at a very slow rate into a new folder that is created in the World of Warcraft installation directory. When a patch is released users already have most of new data available and need only to download a very small amount to be able to run the patch.

Click the link to view WoWs Q&A on the subject.

Can the background downloader be disabled?

Yes, there is an option to turn it off. Open the Blizzard Downloader, click on File, and then Preferences. Uncheck the checkbox that is labeled Enable Background Downloading.

Will the background downloader cause lag or latency issues while IÂ’m playing the game?

No, the data is designed to be transferred very slowly over a period of several days.

Does the background downloader open any additional networking ports?

The Background Downloader uses the same method of distribution and ports as the Blizzard Downloader.

If you are experiencing any issues with downloading patch content with the Background Downloader, there may be network security restricting the required ports. You may need to ensure that TCP ports 3724, 6112, and 6881-6999 are forwarded for any firewalls, routers, or security software on the network.

Information for configuring Firewalls and Routers is available on our website.

Are any files left behind after a background downloader patch is run?

The background downloader cleans up any data files left behind after a patch has been executed.

Does the background downloader continue running when IÂ’m not in game?

No, the downloader closes itself after World of Warcraft has been exited. The next time that you enter the game the download resumes where you left off.

Will users be able to hack into the data that is gathered from the background downloader?

The new data that is gathered will already be available to users on the Public Test Realm.

Does the background downloader have its own set of unique error messages?

No, the background downloader is considered not to be a separate program from the regular downloader. It is the regular downloader with added functionality.

What happens if one of the downloaded pieces becomes corrupted or is deleted?

The downloader detects what file is missing or corrupt and re-downloads that file.