Get around the Blizzard downloader.

[Threndil]

With the 2.0.1 patch coming quickly upon us, Blizzard has been using their oh-so-crappy patcher on us when you close the client. (assuming you use launcher.exe)

While this throttles some peoples connections, there IS a way around it, as I had been searching for since the older .torrent extractor doesn't work on these newer patches.

I knew I had to download the file, so I opened the launcher.exe, logged into WoW and closed out. Like clockwork, the downloader started. I then knew I had the installer and downloader for this patch, now to find a way to extract the .torrent file from this. I searched around in the WoW directory, and in the LOGS folder there is a BackgroundDownload.log file which can be opened in Notepad. This file contains the .torrent information for all of the patches you've downloaded or are in the process of downloading since you have installed WoW.

At the bottom of this document is an address that ends in .torrent. Copy/paste the address into your favorite BitTorrent client and you can save it to the default place where the patch would have been downloaded before.

I ended up picking up the 480mb patch at just over 500k/sec on my connection while being able to throttle the upload to 10k/sec. Needless to say, I'll be continuing this practice until they remove the information from this log file.

Enjoy your faster download and less laggy connection while you're trying to download it!

[wiredguy8333]

Hmmm I can't seem to find the file. There is a blizzard updater.log.html but no background download.log. Wait nevermind I think I found it. Is the address http://us.tracker.worldofwarcraft.com:3724/announce with 1?

[zettez]

OMG +REP!!! I went from 2 kb to 80 in like 30 secs! <3 U MAN!

[Ced]

Oh my g0d this works

U get this in the notepad file:
# System started at LOOK AT NEWEST TIME
# system: YOUR PC NAME
#-----------------------------------------------------------
DATE Checking for background download http://IPHERE/background/WoW-1.12.2....-BKGND.torrent
Checking download of http://IPHERE/background/WoW-1.12.2....-BKGND.torrent

For the client i say use Bitcomet.. works best for me, Fast download and fastest connection

CURRENTLY DOWNLOADING WITH 622KB/s

[superpope]

THX ALOT Threndil! this works great! great finding a way around that damn blizz-downloader! +rep

[R4mbo | Mr. R]

Works perfectly! Downloading now with Azureus with 120kbps! +Rep!

[Battlemidge]

I posted a program that automatically does this ._. its in the programs forum.

http://www.mmowned.com/forums/bots-p...a-torrent.html

[superpope]

i've got a little problem:
i've downloaded wow-partial-1.MPQ and wow-partial-2.MPQ and put them into the data folder in my WoW folder. as soon as I start the launcher enter WoW and exit again, the Blizz-Downloader starts, although i've already got the patch. have i done something wrong or is it supposed to be like that?

EDIT: Managed to solve the problem myself! For everybody else with the same problem: Download the two MPQ-Files as suggested from Threndil, then start WoW with the launcher.exe and exit. The blizz-downloader will pop up and want to start downloading, close it. Now you should have a folder called "WoW-1.12.x-to-2.0.1-deDE-patch" (middle part would probably be "enUS" for most of you). Paste the 2 MPQ-files into this folder, click "yes" if you are asked to replace the files. Now start WoW with the launcher.exe again and exit again. The downloader will appear again, but leave it this time. It will check the files and close automatically after that. Now the Downloader will not start after exiting WoW anymore.

[Hounro]

frist u have to update.. then u have to delete ALL "Mpq" Fiels otherwise it will see your "pre patch"

[blueorange]

This will help for when they screw up the honor system.

[Dude_in_the_dark]

Pic guide I made (did it like 2 days ago just uploaded it today) http://www.geocities.com/dude_in_the...renthowto.html
enjoy

[Threndil]

I posted a program that automatically does this ._. its in the programs forum.

http://www.mmowned.com/forums/bots-p...a-torrent.html

I had previously used this, but had run into problems with the 2.0.1 downloader, hence my search for an actual torrent address for the files. I will say that your program worked great up until this patch though!

Pic guide I made (did it like 2 days ago just uploaded it today) http://www.geocities.com/dude_in_the...renthowto.html
enjoy

Perfect, I'm glad that someone put up a picture description to this, as explaining BT programs can be a bit difficult since there are so many available.


*NOTE*
I've spoken with some guildies and they have said that there was some trouble connecting to the blizz tracker. It seems that some torrent programs are having this problem, but I have been quite successful with utorrent. Personally it's my favorite program for torrents, but if you are using others and are able to connect to the tracker, please post the program that you are currently using so that we can compile a list of compatible clients.

[ragingazn628]

cool from 0 KB / sec to 80 - 100 KB / sec

im using

http://12.129.232.131/background/WoW...-BKGND.torrent

is that the right thing to download?

[Trustdale]

i dont get this >.< wtf is torrent? how to use it? O_o please help me.. it has downloaded fcin 2% on a whole night.. its going to take AGES if u dont help me >.<

[TooSlo]

There was a link posted to utorrent ( http://www.utorrent.com ) and there are detailed explainations on what peer to peer sharing through BitTorrent is.

It's essentially like kazaa, if you're familiar with that. It shares files between people, but the Blizzard downloader is crap, and messes with peoples upload speeds and ****s their connection. It's a greedy program essentially, trying to use as much upload bandwith as possible.

First thing you need to do is download utorrent (my pref prog as well) and set it up. After that, you need to use the directions in utorrent to set up port forwarding on your router if you have one. If you are directly connected to your cable/dsl modem, then you don't need to worry about that step, as all ports are forwarded to your computer.

After that, you will need to go into that text document, down to the VERY bottom, and copy the address that ends in .torrent and copy that into utorrent with the above methods. You will choose to save the file to the same directory as your original blizzard downloader tried to save the file to, and in fact everything that you've downloaded through that downloader will be added to your current torrent.

It's really pretty easy, just take some time to read the directions in utorrent.