#3 - May 4, 2011, 7:06 p.m.
PTR Info and Rules Test Realm Availability As the test realm is a development tool it will not always be available to the public. It is often necessary for us to take the realms down for extended periods of time with little or no warning. During these outages we encourage you to be patient and suggest playing on the live realms while you wait. No amount of posts in this forum will get the servers up faster and typically we’re aware of server related issues immediately.
Test realm behavior Using the Test Realm is by invitation. It is an invitation that we currently extend to all of our users but it is an invitation that we can revoke at any time. Players who act inappropriately on the test realms will be dealt with quickly and severely. This is a test environment and those who interfere with testing in any way will be removed.
PTR FAQ • Q. When will this patch go live?
A. When it’s ready.
• Q. When will the PTR go down permanently?
A. When the patch goes live. Please see the previous question.
• Q. Is feature X in this build?
A. If new features have been implemented they will be listed in the patch notes.
• Q. I cannot connect to the servers what should I do?
A. These are test realms and they will often be taken down or crash, this is normal for testing. Please check the stickies for an announcement about any current planned downtime. If there is not already a sticky post regarding the outage you may create a new thread to let us know of the problem. Please do not create multiple threads as they will all be deleted.
• Q. Why does it say my password is wrong when I try to login?
A. If you've changed the password on your account within the last 3 weeks, you won't be able to log onto the Public Test Realms. You can try to use your old password, but there's no guarantee that it will work.
• Q. I was banned without a warning.
A. The PTR is a tool for Blizzard QA, and as such players who are disruptive will not be tolerated and will be removed without any warning. The normal Customer Service escalation procedure does not apply here. PTR Bans will last at least until the next PTR phase, if not longer.
• Q. Are there GMs on the PTR? I submitted a GM ticket and never got a response.
A. There is no normal GM support on the PTRs, there are monitors who watch for inappropriate or disruptive behavior. The EULA that applies to the normal realms also applies to the PTRs. Any tickets submitted on the PTR will be closed automatically without response.
• Q. People are spamming or otherwise acting inappropriately on the PTR what can I do?
A. As stated before players who act inappropriately on the test realms will be dealt with quickly and severely. To report inappropriate behavior please email customer service at WoWGM@Blizzard.com be sure to include in your email that you are reporting from the test realms.
• Q. I saw someone cheating what can I do?
A. The Terms of Service agreement for World of Warcraft applies the same to the Test Realms.
http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/legal/termsofuse.html It is a common misconception that because there is no standard GM support on the test realms that there are no consequences for cheating, this is untrue. We actively remove players who are cheating or otherwise acting inappropriately on the test realms. Actions taken against players who do not follow the terms of service will be quick and severe.
Players who suspect cheating of any kind should report it via the Blizzard support webform located here:
http://www.blizzard.com/support/?id=eHacks000Setting up the PTRQ. Where can I find a great guide to getting onto the PTR?
A. Player Kaydeethree has written an excellent step-by-step guide and posted it on the WowWiki.
http://www.wowwiki.com/Getting_on_the_Test_RealmQ. Will installing the PTR have any effect on my live wow client?
A. No. The PTR installs as its own version and will be located inside the WoWtest folder inside of your World of Warcraft directory.
Q. What should I do before installing the PTR?
A. Delete your old WoWtest folder from within the World of Warcraft directory. Many problems can be caused by overwriting old test data with new test data.
Q. Where do I download the PTR from?
A. From the Public Test realm download page. Be sure to select PC or Mac depending on your operating system.
http://test.worldofwarcraft.com/ptr/downloads/downloads.htmlQ. The Blizzard downloader is not working.
A. Check here for troubleshooting the downloader:
http://www.blizzard.com/support/wow/?id=aww0819pQ. I downloaded the PTR now what do I do?
A. You need to run the file you downloaded to install the PTR files.
Q. I get an error when installing:
The file "C:\Program Files\World of Warcraft\WoWTest.temp\Data.temp\enUS.temp" could not be renamed to "C:\Program Files\World of Warcraft\WoWTest.temp\Data.temp\enUS".
A. You need to have administrator privileges in order to install the PTR.
Q. I get an error “Unable to initialize storage.”
A. You either do not have enough hard drive space, or you do not have permission to writ to the hard drive that the PTR installer is currently trying to install to. Move the PTR installer file to your World of Warcraft directory and try running it again.
Q. I get a version error when installing.
A. First make sure you have the latest version of WoW by connecting to the live realms. If the error continues then move the installer to your World of Warcraft Directory and run it from there.
Q. Once I have it installed, how do I start the PTR?
A. Launch World of Warcraft normally via the Launcher, and then click on the Public Test button. Alternately you can start it via the wow.exe inside your wowtest folder.
Q. I keep downloading the same patch over and over, what is wrong?
A. This is normal, as updates are made to the PTR more patches are required, just be patient and keep going once they are all installed you will be able to play.
• Q. Why does it say my password is wrong when I try to login?
A. If you've changed the password on your account within the last 3 weeks, you won't be able to log onto the Public Test Realms. You can try to use your old password, but there's no guarantee that it will work.
Q. How do I re-install the PTR?
A. Follow these steps:
1. Delete the WoWtest folder from within your World of Warcraft Directory.
2. Go to the PTR download page.
http://test.worldofwarcraft.com/ptr/downloads/downloads.html3. Download and run the appropriate installer.
Q. How do I un-install the PTR?
A. Delete the WoWtest folder from within your World Of Warcraft Directory.
Q.I’ve done everything and I still can’t get on the PTR, can you help me?
A. This FAQ and the linked guides are the only source of technical support for the PTR, if your problem is outside the scope of these documents then you may not be able to participate in the PTR.