Offline client - please help!

[Graani]

Hello!
I've managed to successfully set up my WoW server and, as weird as that may sound, I want (or rather I'm forced to) play it offline.
And by offline I don't mean alone, I mean - with no Internet connection. And that's the problem, because, even though the server works just fine with no connection, the client needs to connect to Blizzard server on startup to access SQL database... or so I've heard. Anyway, it's impossible to run WoW offline.

So now I'm begging You - do You know of any way for a walk-around? For the client to be able to run offline?

Please, help! I'm really in need of a solution.

[stoneharry]

Private servers do not connect to blizzard in any way. SQL servers are hosted on the same computer as the server. Download any repack -> run MySQL server and Emulator -> login to localhost -> ???, running with no internet connection.

[bendaferi]

I didn't really get it. Your emulator won't need internet connection upon starting, nor your DB (set to localhost). Are you trying to start WoW with your official launcher? If yes, then start it with the wow.exe instead (after editing your realmlist.wtf).

That's my only suggestion for now

[Graani]

Thanks for quick answers.

@stoneharry, it's not related to the server, but to the client.

Generally speaking when trying to launch WoW (with wow.exe) with no Internet connection, the error pops out that "WoW.mfil could not be initialized". This occurs only when I disconnect my computer from the Internet.

Thanks

Edit: I forgot to mention, my realmlist.wtf is changed, of course.

[bendaferi]

"I just today had a similar issue, and thankfully the fix is simple. Open up Internet Explorer, and ensure that it hasn't changed your Proxy settings or set itself to "Offline mode". I had a recent internet outage due to weather, and IE apparently auto-switched itself to offline mode - which in turn makes the Blizzard launch tool fail. Once IE was back in operation, so was WoW."

from the official forums.

[Graani]

Hmm, I've seen it too, but I thought it was solution for this error if one HAS Internet connection and it occurs anyway. Well, I'll check that in a minute and let You guys know, thanks.

Edit: Just what I thought, the error still occurs. Actually, my IE doesn't automatically change to offline mode when disconnected anyway. Thanks for trying, though. ^^

Any other ideas, anyone?

[Graani]

Hmm... That's just my assumption, but would it be necessary to download this SQL database that client connects to, put it somewhere and then modifying the file "WoW.mfil" so that the client would just search for these files on the drive instead of some Blizzard server? Of course I know that talking about it is easy and doing this might be really difficult...

On some other thought, while playing on custom server, the game "downloads some data files". Does it download them from my server or Blizzard's? If Blizzard's, then could it be somehow possible that after nothing more is needed to download for my version, the client would not require Internet connection? Seems very unlikely to me, but anyway...

I just can't think of anything better.

Edit:
There's only one topic I found on Google for that problem, unfortunately, no answer was given... I would love to try the patcher someone there suggested, but the link is broken.

Edit2: (Uh, I don't really want to triple post :P)
Wow, it got better than I thought. I didn't think "WoW.mfil" could be opened simply with notepad! And that the localization of the file would be stored there. Now, this makes things much easier, but I still would need to know how to get the necessary files on my computer.
Thanks!

[bendaferi]

I read some topics about your problem. Most people having the same issue wrote that their wow is trying to patch up, but all of them stucked at 0%. Strange that blizzard updating started on your computer while playing on a private server... Something is blocking the official updater. Try disabling the firewall, anti virus software you have any check if the launcher is working. Watch out and stop it before it finishes the download (if it started :P) otherwise you may have to downgrade your game version.

That's it I'm out sorry. Out of ideas. The last one would be to reinstall your game. Good luck.

[Graani]

I will try all of that in a moment (well, besides reinstallation ) but could You just tell me one thing? From what You said I get the feeling that normally you CAN launch WoW offline. If that's so, then half of the problem disappears, because getting some fresh client or something could help.
Correct me if that's not what You think.
And just for reference, my version is 4.0.6a if that matters (mm, it probably does :P).

Edit: Strange things are happening. 0_0 I really have no idea how, but I managed to launch WoW offline. I just thought these exhausting problems would be over, but then I realised that errors happen anyway, just in different moments of the game. As of now, I've noticed a crash when trying to create a character (an error that some item is missing occurs) and when logging off with my other character (an error that some animation is missing occurs).

I'm really not sure what to think about it. Is it possible that it's a server's fault? If so, which repack could You guys advise me for 4.0.6a version? I've been using Guldemor repack so far...
Thanks.

[bendaferi]

Yes indeed you can play wow without internet connection (localhost or lan).

An unfinished update caused your first error. Maybe that's it again.

FInally, I'm using 3.3.5 (latest arcemu core) since I don't trust in those "new" cataclysm ones. But it's just my opinion.
I'm also not familiar anything what is not Arcemu lol

Good luck any have fun

[Graani]

Well, I reinstalled WoW and updated it to the newest patch for now (I'm planning on downgrading it after checking everything is fine) and this time, when trying to launch WoW.exe with no Internet access, the following message appears: "Cannot stream required archive data." The error is different, but essentially the effect is the same - I can't launch it. Any ideas now? I'm confused, because You, bendaferi, said that it can be launched with no Internet, and I managed to, but now it's the same problem... Thanks for help.

[bendaferi]

Ehhm well. We will get rid of your problems I do not KNOW any soultions but have some interesting tips you should try (it won't get worse anyway ehh? )

1.: use Solid WoW's patched exe. DOWNLOAD Works from 4.0.6 to 4.3.0
2.: Change the name of your realmlist.wtf to whatever. Run launcher.exe with internet connection. Run it again without connection.
3.: Go into your wow.mfil and change the "location" to be equal with "localhost" or "127.0.0.1".

Try them one-by-one. Ohh and just to know: i haven't seen such an error in my wow carrier. Whenever I had no connection or it was bad the WoW itself started and after trying to login it gave me an error saying Unable to Connect. Your error must be a new-gen patch 4+ crap

I hope you get it running finally. (fingers crossed)

[Graani]

Ehhm well. We will get rid of your problems I do not KNOW any soultions but have some interesting tips you should try (it won't get worse anyway ehh? )

1.: use Solid WoW's patched exe. DOWNLOAD Works from 4.0.6 to 4.3.0
2.: Change the name of your realmlist.wtf to whatever. Run launcher.exe with internet connection. Run it again without connection.
3.: Go into your wow.mfil and change the "location" to be equal with "localhost" or "127.0.0.1".

Try them one-by-one. Ohh and just to know: i haven't seen such an error in my wow carrier. Whenever I had no connection or it was bad the WoW itself started and after trying to login it gave me an error saying Unable to Connect. Your error must be a new-gen patch 4+ crap

I hope you get it running finally. (fingers crossed)

Thanks for Your continued support.
1. I've tried it just a moment ago but it didn't work.
2. I've not tried that yet, will do it as soon as I can.
3. Well, it turned out that's what made me able to launch WoW offline in the first place. I mean, earlier I couldn't even start it because the error showed up, then I changed the "location" to localhost and the game would then be able to launch and login on my offline server, but then it would crash on character creation with message that the game cannot access some files.

I think I have an idea what might cause the problem! You see, I used a method from that video to downgrade my client from 4.3.3 to 4.0.6a: how to downgrade to 4.0.6 wow - YouTube

I feel really dumb, because the game after downgrading downloads the necessary files - it's even stated at the end of the video. After the menu background and music downloaded, I just naively thought that this downloading was over.
Now, I think that it may download the necessary rest at various parts of the game. For example, download character creation background only when I go to character creation menu. That would explain a LOT.
Tell me if You think that might be probable. If so, then I think I would just have to downgrade my WoW in some other way...

[bendaferi]

As I know you shouldn't download anything after downgrading it's paradox :P

So just to be clear: can you launch your wow.exe now? if you do check the build number bottom left-hand corner. Some people wrote if you want to start your game as 4.0.6 (13623 I think) just find a wow.exe with the build number you want.

Edit: so if you let your game to patch up after downgrading it will go straight to the latest one and you have the newest game client again

Edit2: Did you try to edit the "server" in your wow.mfil too? Set it (and the location) to localhost.

[Graani]

I know it's weird that a game downloads something after downgrading. :P
Still, I'm pretty sure it does in this case. After downgrading and launching WoW.exe, the screen would first be black, then after a moment login window and buttons would appear, later background, sound effects, and finally music. That only happened at the first launch after downgrading, so it looks like it really needed some files to download.

The reason that it downloaded files even though it was downgrading, was because of the method. Basically I just deleted all the files in WoW directory (not folders or anything in it) and replace them with the ones in the package downloaded from the link in that video. Then launched WoW.exe.

Yes, my version is 4.0.6(13623) aka 4.0.6a . So You say that I would just have to download the right exe file?