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How to Revert Back to Patches in World of Warcraft

Patching is mandatory for playing "World of Warcraft" on the official Blizzard servers. If your game version does not match the current server data, you are not allowed to play without automatically updating your game client. However, it is possible to revert to previous patch data to resolve or troubleshoot patching problems or to revert to previous patches for unsupported and unofficial play on private servers.

Instructions

Reverting Patches for Troubleshooting
- 1
  Navigate to the directory containing your "World of Warcraft" installation. Open the "Data" folder. Delete the files "patch.mpq" and "patch-2.mpq."
- 2
  Return to the "World of Warcraft" directory. Open the "repair.exe" utility. Select "Reset and Check All Files." The program alerts you that your current installation of "World of Warcraft" is damaged. Acknowledge this and continue the repair. If you have "Cataclysm," this will revert your game to patch 4.0.1.
- 3
  Open the "wow.exe" program, located in the "World of Warcraft" folder. The game launches, bypassing the Blizzard Background Downloader. This method causes the game client to download individual patches and install them one at a time. This overcomes patching issues with the standard background downloader. After the game patches, it is again playable on the official servers.
Reverting Patches for Play on a Private Server
- 4
  Open your computer's directory containing the local installation of "World of Warcraft." Copy and paste the entire "World of Warcraft" folder. Rename the "Copy of World of Warcraft" to "World of Warcraft - Private."
- 5
  Open the "World of Warcraft - Private" folder. Right-click the empty white space. On the context menu, select "New" and "Folder." A new folder appears. Rename it "Manual Patches."
- 6
  Open the "Data" folder. Delete the files "patch.mpq" and "patch-2.mpq." Return to the "World of Warcraft - Private" directory. Open the "repair.exe" utility. Select "Reset and Check All Files." The program alerts you that your current installation of "World of Warcraft" is damaged. Acknowledge this and let it continue the repair. If you have "World of Warcraft: Cataclysm," this will revert your game version to 4.0.1.
- 7
  Download the manual patch files via the mirrors listed on the Blizzard Support site at us.blizzard.com/support/article/21079, or visit FilePlanet's patch database at fileplanet.com/100462/0/section/Patches. Download all patch data from the base of your expansion, for example 4.0.1, through the patch version you want.
- 8
  Right-click on the downloaded file, starting with the lowest patch version, and from the context menu select "Extract." Extract the file to the "Manual Patches" folder.
- 9
  Open the "Manual Patches" folder and double-click the patch of the lowest version. The manual "World of Warcraft" installer opens, click "Continue." Review the patch notes. Accept the "Terms of Use" and click "Start." The patch will begin installing. Repeat this step until you are at the desired game version.
- 10
  Navigate to the "World of Warcraft - Private" and Right-click on the "WoW.exe" program. From the context menu, create a shortcut. Rename the shortcut "WoW - Private" and move it to the desktop. This is the shortcut for launching the reverted version of the game on a private server.
- 11
  Open the "Data" folder in the "World of Warcraft - Private" folder. Open the "realmlist.wtf" with Notepad. Edit the "realmlist" and "patchlist" in the file with the information provided by the administrator of your private server. If you do not edit the server information before launching the game via the new shortcut, it will connect to the official servers and automatically force you to patch to the most recent version.

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