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Topic (Locked) Frequent Questions and Answers
Glauzuu
Edited by Irylinne on 14/11/11 17:36 (UTC)
This sticky is here to provide common answers/solutions & links given by our Customer Support Department for issues which affect a large number of players.

#1
22/11/2010
Glauzuu
Edited by Nephadne on 05/12/10 19:34 (UTC)
Account Hacked/Compromised

We have a specific sticky which will help you recover your stolen account, please read through it and post any questions regarding compromised (hacked) accounts in there:

#2
22/11/2010
Glauzuu
Edited by Glauzuu on 24/03/11 10:27 (UTC)
Reset UI - WTF, Cache, and Interface folders & Repair Tool

Often times, especially after a patch, user interface (UI) files can become corrupt or out-dated. These issues most commonly affect custom AddOns or modifications (such as QuestHelper, Bartender, Gearscore, etc). Without clearing out these "old" custom UI files, one may encounter major display issues such as items "disappearing," not being able to see in-game chat, being unable to whisper other players, and many other unpleasant situations.

While simply disabling or updating your AddOns may resolve these discrepancies, the only means by which to guarantee that a given issue is not being caused by the UI is to fully reset it.

With the game closed please try moving or deleting your WTF, Cache, and Interface folders out of your World of Warcraft directory. These are temporary files that will be recreated by the game the next time you launch. Moving them to the desktop makes it easy to replace them if necessary.

Some players wonder why Game Masters so often offer these steps to address issues which have been reported. The short answer is - because they work! Many issues can be resolved by resetting one's User Interface, even if they do not at first glance appear to be related. Also, advising players to reset their UI is helpful as a starting point, especially if the issue is not one for which we have devised a more specific resolution. If the issue persists after resetting ones UI, then the Game Master may investigate other possibilities in their efforts to resolve the matter at hand.

We have also found that deleting the Cache folder found within the Data folder can also help in certain situations. As well as deleting (or moving) the WTF, Cache and Interface folders, please try deleting (or moving) this one too.

Step by step guides for your operating system can be found below.


Windows XP/2000

  • Click the Start button, select Programs, select Accessories and select Windows Explorer.
  • In the new window click the + beside the My Computer option, this should expand a list.
  • Click the + beside the Hard Disk with the (C:) label on the end (Or whichever Hard Disk the game was installed on).
  • Click the + beside Program Files.
  • Scroll down until you find World of Warcraft in the list and double click it.
  • In the panel on the right there should be a list of files and folders, the WTF, CACHE, and INTERFACE folders should be in this list.
  • Single click one of those folders and it should become highlighted, once that folder is highlighted press the Delete key on your keyboard. Do this for all three folders.
  • Open the DATA folder.
  • Single click on the CACHE folder then press the Delete key on your keyboard.
  • Once the four folders have been deleted you can close Windows Explorer.
  • Start the game again using the World of Warcraft Launcher to see if this helps resolve your issue.


Windows Vista/7

  • Click the Start button, select All Programs, select Accessories and select Windows Explorer.
  • In the new window click the + beside the My Computer option, this should expand a list.
  • Click the + beside the Hard Disk with the (C:) label on the end (Or whichever Hard Disk the game was installed on).
  • Click the + beside Program Files.

  • Scroll down until you find World of Warcraft in the list and double click it.
  • In the panel on the right there should be a list of files and folders, the WTF, CACHE, and INTERFACE folders should be in this list.
  • Single click one of those folders and it should become highlighted, once that folder is highlighted press the Delete key on your keyboard. Do this for all three folders.
  • Open the DATA folder.
  • Single click on the CACHE folder then press the Delete key on your keyboard.
  • If the UAC is enabled, which it is by default, then the system will also be caching these four folders. Towards the top of the Windows explorer window should be a Link labeled "Virtual store", please click on this (the default location can be found here C:\Users\Default\AppData\Local\VirtualStore). In the Virtual store folder, please check if there is a World of Warcraft folder, and if so please delete the three folders WTF, Cache and Interface and the other Cache folder from this location as well.
  • Once these extra folders have been deleted you can close Windows Explorer.
  • You will need to restart your system at this point.
  • Start the game again using the World of Warcraft Launcher, when starting the game right click on the game icon, and select Run As Administrator. This will make sure that any settings you change in game are saved correctly.


Mac OS X

  • Click on the desktop and then the Go menu on the top.
  • Click Applications.
  • Scroll down to World of Warcraft and select it.
  • Right-click (Control+click if you own a 1-button mouse) on the Cache folder and select Move to Trash.
  • Perform the above step for the Interface and WTF folder as well.
  • Double-click the World of Warcraft application to launch the game and verify if the issue has been resolved.


Repair Tool

As well as resetting your User Interface, you may be asked to run the Repair Tool. Further information about this tool can be found in our support article here:
http://eu.blizzard.com/support/article.xml?locale=en_GB&articleId=19415

As well as the ability to download it here you can also find it in your World of Warcraft folder.

Once the Repair tool has loaded, click Repair to check your installation.

IMPORTANT: Please make sure that you have fully exited from the game before using this tool.
#3
22/11/2010
Glauzuu
Edited by Glauzuu on 14/04/11 19:30 (UTC)
Stuck Characters

Please find a few how-to guides on what to do should you find yourself either stuck in game or stuck connecting to the game.


Stuck in game

  • Can you use your hearthstone or "Teleport to Graveyard"?

    • If you are not sure where the "Teleport to Graveyard" button is, please follow these steps:

    • Click on "Help Request" (the red question mark)
    • Click on "Character Stuck"
    • Click on "Teleport to Graveyard"

    Be aware that using "Teleport to Graveyard" will kill your character and send you to the graveyard so that you can use the Spirit Healer to resurrect or go and resurrect close to your corpse.


  • Are you dead?

    • You can press the "Return to Graveyard" button, this will move you to the nearest Spirit Healer so that you can run back to your corpse again or resurrect by speaking to the Spirit Healer.


  • Can you be summoned?

    • Try speaking to friends, guild members or players online who are either Warlocks or near Meeting Stones. See if they will be kind enough to help summon you away from the place you are stuck.


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Unable to find Corpse/Resurrect

    If a player can not see their corpse on the mini map following death option to resurrect when standing on the corpse, relogging will usually solve this issue. In the event that this does not enable you to resurrect, please press the "Return to Graveyard" button and resurrect using the spirit healer.


Unable to see the "Release Spirit" box

    If you're unable to see the release box after your character dies, you can open it by entering the following command into your chat box:

      /script RepopMe()

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Unable to log into your character

  • Are you constantly disconnecting with no error message?

    • The first thing that you should do is reset your user interface and run our repair tool. A guide on how to do this can be found here:


    If this does not work then please contact our in-game support team from a character that you can log in from and they will be able to move you.

    We are also currently aware of some issues that may be causing this situation which we have documented in our 4.0.3a/Cataclysm Known Issues & Bug Reports sticky here.



  • Is your client crashing with an error message when logging in?

    • Please contact our Technical Support team via their forum, website or phone informing them of the error message and they will be able to assist you further.
#4
22/11/2010
Glauzuu
Edited by Nephadne on 28/08/11 19:51 (UTC)
Character & Item Restorations

This post is here to give you all some more information on the process of restoring characters and items. Our policy on this can be found at:
https://eu.blizzard.com/support/article.xml?locale=en_GB&articleId=50075

Requesting a Restoration
    The first step for you to take is to contact the In-game Support department by submitting an in-game petition. You can find a very useful guide on how to submit a ticket to us in-game (written by Celiby) at:
    http://eu.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/900641324

Information to Include
    With any restoration request, you should go by the rule that too much information is better than too little. For items, ensure that you include the name of the items, how it was lost, and the date and time that the incident occurred. Similarly with a character restore, include the name, class, level, race and realm of the character.

Limited Restorations
    The character deletion process is intended to be permanent; however the In-game Support department is able to offer character restores. Please bear in mind that all characters which remain deleted for a lengthy period of time may be purged from our system and this is not something which we can reverse.

    In the case of item deletion, the In-game Support department may be able to assist you. While there is no set limit to the amount of times we will assist with item reimbursements, if it is felt that a player is been overly careless with their items, then we may deny assistance. While we can restore items with random modifiers (of the Bear, of the Eagle, etc.) we cannot guarantee that you will receive the same modifier as you had on your original item. We are also unfortunately not able to guarantee that any enchantments or other additions to an item shall be restored along with it.

    IMPORTANT: All item restoration requests must be submitted within three days of the loss. Failure to do so may result in your restoration request being denied. This also applies to profession restorations as well as item swaps or transfers, but not to losses that occurred during verifiable account compromises.

Alternate Currency refunds
    Items purchased using Honor/Conquest points, Justice/Valor points, Champion's Seals or other Alternate Currency can often be refunded for their full purchase price within 2 hours of in-game time (this timer will only count down while you are logged in). This system should be used if you purchase an item by accident, as the In-game Support team is unable to offer manual refunds of such items regardless of the time passed since the incident. We will only look into the possibility of offering such a service if it is obvious the in-game refund system was not working correctly.

    For more information on the system and its restrictions please see the Alternate Currency FAQ at:
    http://eu.blizzard.com/support/article.xml?locale=en_GB&articleId=36881

Loot issues
    Should you experience problems looting a mob or a chest connected to a boss kill, please don't hesitate to submit an in-game ticket about the matter containing the name of the mob as well as the time and date of the incident so we can investigate the matter for you.

    However, we are unable to offer manual Bind on Pickup item transfers between group members, as such items can be freely traded amongst players who participated in the kill for 2 hours afterwards. This 2 hour time limit is in-game time, meaning it will not tick down while the character possessing the item is logged out.

Professions
    The In-Game Support team may be able to assist with the retrieval of a lost profession, provided we are able to verify it's loss. As for any other restoration issue, requests for assistance with the retrieval of a profession should be made by way of in-game ticket.
#5
22/11/2010
Glauzuu
Edited by Tailyda on 18/04/12 12:19 (UTC)
Account and Payment Issues

Due to the delicacy of certain account & payment enquiries, we are not able to assist with all of these matters here on the Customer Support forum. As such, some requests for assistance with issues of the following nature might need to be addressed directly to the Account & Payment Support department:

    Faction Change problems
    Paid Character Transfer problems
    Paid Name Change problems
    Character Re-Customization
    Payment and Subscription issues
    E-mail changes and Secret Question/Answer inquiries
    Trial Account upgrades and Account creation
    Account detail changes (Legal name change, change of Address etc.)
    Online Store problems

You can find full contact details for our Account & Payment Support department on the following web page:
http://eu.battle.net/support/en/article/contact

Information on how to call directly from countries without a dedicated contact number, as well as additional tips and hints, can be found at the link below:


We also advise that before making an enquiry, you review our Support Site to see if your question has already been answered:
http://eu.battle.net/support/en/
#6
22/11/2010
Glauzuu
Edited by Nephadne on 03/06/11 21:31 (UTC)
Suspension Disputes/Queries

We are unable to comment on, nor offer any advice on, a suspended account via the forums for privacy reasons. If you wish to discuss or dispute any action taken against your account, then you should follow the instructions from the e-mail you received regarding the suspension. If you didn't receive an e-mail or if you're unsure of who to contact, please make use of the new Blizzard Customer Service Website in order to submit a help request:
https://eu.battle.net/support/en/ticket/submit
#7
22/11/2010
Glauzuu
Edited by Nephadne on 05/12/10 20:43 (UTC)
Bots

Please be assured that we're very much aware of bots (automated game play through third party programs) and are constantly working on investigating and removing these. While we won't go into details and can't promise immediate visible improvement, we're working diligently to track down and sanction those cheating, especially those negatively affecting the realm economies.

Here are some quotes from us regarding bots, giving out as much information as we are able to:

Original Post

Lately ive been seeing alot of botters on tichondrius, i report them in game and these people are still there everyday and night for about 2 days after i reported them, nevermind that theyve been there for another 3 days straight before that, last time i checked third party programs are illegal, these people are obviously botting and still havent been dealt with, so does blizzard have an excuse why botters run wild?

Blizzard Reply

Run wild" is a bit harsh, Vex. There's method to our perceived madness, I assure you. ;)

Think of it this way: A band of cops are attempting to bust a drug distribution ring. They don't just want to catch one or two low level dealers, but effectively cripple the ring as thoroughly as possible by arresting and convicting all members involved in the production, trafficking, and use of this one particular drug. What's the best way to do this? Through investigation and planning, mate. Door-busting, hat-waving, shoot-from-the-hip vigilante tactics would probably yield more immediate results in this situation, but the efforts wouldn't be as lucrative in the long term. Know what I mean?

So these cops send in two or three of their own undercover. They spends months observing and watching the ring's habits, learning about who's in charge, who's buying, who's selling, and how the product gets trafficked. Now, even though these cops could probably bust a plethora of lower echelon dealers and buyers, they know that bringing a few of these guys downtown won't do anything—it'll get them off the street, sure, but unless the entire network is nailed, they'll just be replaced shortly after their arrest.

And so the cops wait. They wait until they've got enough evidence to bring the whole thing down in one fel swoop. Why? Because not only will it hopefully catch everyone involved, but, by forgoing more timely arrests, it'll also prevent the bosses and ring leaders from learning about our plans prematurely and then using that information to cover their tracks.

This is exactly how we behave and respond, and you'll notice that when we mete out punishment, that it comes in big waves. By tracking and observing these guys for months—instead of pouncing immediately—we can see just how deep the rabbit hole goes. And, what's more? We can do it without these guys knowing. The developers of the software in question are wily, and will adapt their programming immediately should there be any hint that we're onto them. So, in the end, proceeding with caution will yield more results. Slow and steady wins the race, eh?

I know it's probably frustrating on your end, having to witness these guys day in and day out—and for that I do apologize. I know it's rough. Even so, I encourage you to just report them, ignore them, and then let us do our thing. Know that our Hacks Team is working ever so diligently behind the scenes and that one day? One day they'll swoop in again and smite the exploitative as mightily as we've done in the past. Just takes time. :)

Blizzard Reply

...I assure you that whether you believe it or not this is a matter that we take extremely seriously and have dedicated teams working 24/7 on combating the scourge. However, our priority is the ‘bigger picture’ so, just because you have not seen action on that particular character it does not mean that nothing is happening at all. We are making constant improvements in the way that we handle this situation, and are fully aware that further development is needed, both in our action and our transparency.

We will not compromise though, this ‘bigger picture’ comes first and foremost, for the integrity of our game world. In the meantime I sincerely apologise for the frustration caused by the dishonourable actions of other players and remind all readers of the instantly accessible solution to this problem;

1. Don’t buy gold.
2. Secure your computer and account.

If all players did just those 2 things, there would be no bots or advertising spam.
#8
22/11/2010
Glauzuu
Edited by Tailyda on 08/09/11 17:20 (UTC)
Commonly Reported Issues That Are Not Bugs.

There are many issues that are repeatedly reported via the forums that are not considered bugs and should not be posted here in this forum.
Please check this list before making a new post in this forum. Many issues that appear to be bugs are actually intended functionality or should be reported in other places.


1. Realms are down or crashing.
    Example: Players cannot get past 'Authenticating', or the realm Hyjal is not currently online.

    Blizzard Technicians continually monitor all of our realms and work to resolve issues as quickly as possible. QA does not have information about realm status. Information regarding realm status can be viewed at the Service Status Forum;
    http://eu.battle.net/wow/en/forum/1028280

2. Exploits, Cheats and Hacks.

3. Forum Avatar levels and guilds do not match in-game characters.
    Example: In-game character is level 70 while forum avatar is level 63.

    The forum information is not updated in real time, it can often take weeks before avatar information is updated. You can read more information about this issue here;
    http://eu.battle.net/wow/en/blog/1400553#blog

4. Armory Information is incorrect/incomplete/out of date.
    Example: The Armory page does not list a character's correct guild.

    Errors in Armory information should be reported via the 'Report an Error' link at the bottom of each Armory page or via e-mail at; wowarmory@blizzard.com

5. Haste effects do not apply the correct amount of casting/attack increase.
    Example: 20% haste only increases cast speed by 17%

    The formula for haste effects is:
      NEW_SPEED = OLD_SPEED / (1 + HASTE_PERCENT)

    This can be a bit confusing, but it assures that no amount of +Haste effects will result in zero or negative attack or cast speed.

6. “Impossible” simultaneous actions.
    Examples: Rogue Vanish being broken by attacks, two Mages polymorphing each other, Paladin Divine Shield being dispelled as it is cast.

    Because of the client-server nature of the game it is possible for two mutually exclusive actions to occur at the same time resulting in some unexpected behavior. Although efforts are made to minimize these situations they will still happen on occasion.

7. NPCs and player pets attack stealthed players.
    Example: A Hunter sends its pet after a Druid who then uses Prowl, but the pet continues to chase and attack the druid after it has entered stealth.

    Stealth is not intended to be an escape mechanic, Vanish should be used to escape combat in these situations. If you feel this should be changed then please post your feedback in the appropriate forum section.

8. No experience, loot or quest credit for mobs killed exclusively by pets or totems.
    Example: A Shaman uses a Fire Nova Totem to kill several quest NPCs and gets no credit.

    This is an intended behavior, a player must do damage to an NPC for it to give credit.

9. Priest spells on cooldown while in Spirit of Redemption.
    Example: Priest was kicked by a Rogue and then died, now all Holy spells are unavailable.

    Although all debuffs are removed when a character dies, Counterspell and Kick both cause spells to go into cooldown and cooldown effects are not removed by death.

10. Counterspell/Kick locks down unexpected spells.
    Example: When kicked while casting a healing spell, Priest Discipline spells are also locked out.

    Counterspell effects lock out schools of magic not trees. Discipline is a spell tree which includes many Holy spells.

11. Forsaken PCs and NPCs are invalid targets for Undead only spells.
    Example: Forsaken players can not be shackled with the Priest spell Shackle Undead.

    This is working correctly, Forsaken are classified as Humanoids and are affected by all abilities that normally affect Humanoids not Undead.

12. Druid Omen of Clarity does work with Ferocious Bite.
    Example: All energy is expended when Ferocious Bite is used with Omen of Clarity.

    This is working properly; when used with Omen of Clarity, Ferocious Bite converts its normal base cost of 35 energy into additional damage.

13. Using a Guild standard puts other items on a 2 minute cooldown.
    Example: Using a Standard of Unity puts a Healthstone on cooldown for 2 minutes.

    Combat enhancing items used from the inventory that are not potions all share a common 2 minute timer.

14. Sunfire reapplies Moonfire instead of overwriting it.
    Example: You have been using Moonfire and now wish to cast Sunfire. However instead of casting Sunfire, it refreshes Moonfire instead.

    Essentially Sunfire and Moonfire are the same spell just with different damage and triggers (Solar Eclipse and Lunar Eclipse). When you are casting one spell you will need to ensure that you have allowed it to run its full duration before you cast the opposite spell.

15. Guards in Capital Cities can see through Vanish.
    Example: You are in an enemy city and have been spotted, but using Vanish does not take you out of combat.

    Guards will be able to see through Vanish and continue pursuing you until you have either run out of range or have been killed. This applies for other classes as well when using abilities such as Feign Death and Sanctuary.

16. Non meta gems from Wrath of the Lich King or higher do not stack with each other on creation.
    Example: Player has a stack of Jasper and creates Jagged Jasper. Each gem that is created does not stack.

    To prevent exploitation, non meta gems from Wrath of the Lich King or higher have been designed not to stack with each other.

17. Pets are not respawning with full health when dismounting.
Example: Player's pet is healed up to full health and then they mount up. If the pet despawns while they are mounted and the player dismounts, the pet respawns with a low amount of health.

    A fix was implemented to set your pet to a low health level on respawn to prevent pet healing exploitation. The pet will appear with base health and then should boost back to full. It is still something that is still under investigation however due to the continued number of reports we get about it.

18. Starfall is pulling mobs into combat when cast. It is also breaking crowd control on mobs already in combat.
Example: Player is in Netherstorm in combat with a NPC. After casting Starfall, it causes nearby NPC's to also be in combat. After casting CC on one of them the player casts Starfall again and it breaks the CC.

    A fix was implemented to prevent Druids from pulling NPC's into combat whist in Dungeons and Raids. However this does not affect casting it while outside of these areas. Starfall should always break the CC of a creature if they are in combat with it.
#9
22/11/2010
Tailyda
View posts
Tailyda
Customer Service
Edited by Nephadne on 28/08/11 20:06 (UTC)
Player Written Guides

  • [Guide] GMs, Tickets and you!

  • [Guide] How to SCAN and SECURE your PC - Part II

  • [Guide] How to Call Blizzard

  • [Guide] 'Phishing' whispers

  • [Guide & FAQ] Authenticators

  • Payment and Subscriptions Info & Advice

  • Phishing and scam e-mails be gone! (solution/guide)
    		•
    #10
    24/08/2011
    This thread is locked.

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