° TECHNICAL ISSUES: Error and Crash Info

1. Introduction

The first step when facing any error or crash is to close down WoW and remove the WTF, Cache and Interface folders from the World of Warcraft game directory. These folders contain temporary data and frequently altered files that may have become corrupted. This will also remove any custom UI's that may contribute to the problem as well. You can move these folders to the desktop or another directory if you wish to retain the data, however for now please start WoW without those folders present.

The information below is a compilation of various crashes and errors that users may experience while playing World of Warcraft. The examples used may not be identical to an error that may be experienced, but if the information looks similar, the steps listed may apply. Keep in mind that even though your error message may match closely to what is listed below, the actual cause and ultimate resolution may be quite different from what is contained here. If you find that the below information does not assist with your specific error, it is recommended that your contact us through e-mail at [email protected] as well as creating your own thread, or adding to an already existing thread pertaining to your exact crash and/or error. While the Technical Support forum offers a good place to obtain new information and discuss common errors with other users, it should not be seen as a means of directly troubleshooting complex issues with a Blizzard Representative.

Index:
1. Introduction
2. Installation Error 2
3. Installation Error 5, 8, 38
4. Patching errors and known issues
5. Error 121
6. Error 124
7. Error 131
8. Error 132
9. Error 134
10. Black screen crashes/freezes
11. Blue screen crashes (Windows)
12. System hardlock/ softlock
13. "Not enough storage to complete this command"

Originally posted by Evan

2. Installation Error 2

If you receive an Error 2 during installation there are two main factors to investigate.
Example of the Error 2 message:

The file "Files\Data\Interface\Cinematics\Logo_800.avi" in archive "<unknown>" could not be opened, because an error 2 occurred. If this problem persists, please contact Blizzard Technical Support. (MPQFile::OpenFromArchive)

Note that the file the error occurs on may change, in the above example the error occurred on the Logo_800.avi file.

The first cause of the Error 2 is that there is a previous installation of World of Warcraft that has not been completely removed. To check for previous files installed for WoW, perform a search of the hard drive for files containing wow in the file name. Note that this search will return some Windows files as well. Please post the results of the search in a newly created thread to discern which files are Windows operating system files and which may be from past installations of WoW.

The second cause of this error is inter-mixed disk sets. When WoW first launched the box set consisted of 4 CDs. Later, WoW was redistributed as a different version to retail stores again with a set of CDs. These CD sets are not interchangeable. For instance you may encounter this error if Disk 2 from one set of CDs is being used to replace Disk 2 from another set of CDs. To determine if your disk set is complete, look at the dates of the files on each disk to ensure that the creation dates are identical.
Directions to open a CD in folder view:

• Double click the My Computer icon.


• Right click the CD-ROMs drive icon and select Open

To find the creation date of a file on a CD, right click a file and choose Properties from the menu. The creation date will be listed there.

If you find that you have mixed versions of World of Warcraft please follow the instructions here: http://us.blizzard.com/support/article.xml?articleId=21047 to replace the entire set of disks with a complete set of WoW.

Newer versions of the game will come in DVD format. It will not be possible to mix files unless you have another World of Warcraft CD or DVD with the same file format (but different build) in the drive at the time of the install. In some cases, this will also apply to the online installers; they will see already-complete files from the DVD and will try to install using those. Please make sure all discs are ejected before running the installer of your choice.

Newer versions will also contain the complete game set. For example, the Wrath DVD contains all World of Warcraft and Burning Crusade data. You do not need to install World of Warcraft and Burning Crusade in order to install Wrath; Wrath will install everything for you. Cataclysm should behave the same way.

We also have a complete 4.0 installer available on the Account Management website. It includes all World of Warcraft titles released thus far. If you're having trouble using a disc format or just want to install everything in one shot, use http://us.battle.net/account/downloads/WoW-4.0.0-WOW-enUS-Installer.exe

If you have the Cataclysm disc, you can just use that as well.

3. Installation Error 5, 8 and 38

This error occurs only during installation, and it usually signifies faulty memory. The situations can vary, from improper configuration of RAM settings on the motherboard to mismatched RAM modules even faulty or failing RAM.
Error 38 are from old World of Warcraft discs. Error 5 and 8 are more current as of Wrath and Cataclysm.

Example of the Error 5 message:

The installer was unable to read the file "CREATURE\COCKATRICE\CockatricemountBlue.blp". This error may be caused by problems with the media or drive at J:\ --for example, a scratched or dirty CD-ROM/DVD-ROM, hard drive corruption, or a networking problem while downloading the installer. (The error code was 5.)

Example of the Error 38 message:

The installer was unable to read the file "C:\Documents and Settings\Desktop\WoW Installer\Installer Tome.mpq". This error may be caused by problems with the media or drive at C:\--for example, a scratched or dirty CD-ROM/DVD-ROM, hard drive corruption, or a networking problem while downloading the installer. (The data being read was "Repack-MPQ\Data#terrain.MPQ\World\Maps\Kalimdor\Kalimdor_34_31.adt", and the error code was 38.) If this problem persists, please contact Blizzard Technical Support. (MPQFile::Read)

Please run a memory scan to look for problems. A Microsoft memory testing tool can be found at the link below:
http://oca.microsoft.com/en/windiag.asp

Be certain to run the tool using the extended test suite by pressing T while the Windows Memory Diagnostic is running. In addition allow the memory testing tool to thoroughly test the RAM over a period of 2 hours or longer.

4. Patching errors and known issues

We have a sticky thread with updated information at http://us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/933154248

5. Error 121

If you've gotten an error 121 recently, please check your message to see if it matches the underlined part:


World of WarCraft (build 6080)

This application has encountered a critical error:

ERROR #121 (0x85100079) Version Mismatch
Program: C:\Users\Public\Games\World of Warcraft\WoW.exe

DBFilesClient\Startup_Strings.dbc has wrong number of columns (found 19, expected 11)

These type of errors will happen when something introduces old game files into the World of Warcraft folder. The most common cause of this is from running the Windows System Restore utility. It writes smaller backed-up files back into the game folder as part of the restoration. The game won't know what to do with the updated files, or unupdated files, depending on what version of the game got restored. The next common cause is by installing an older game onto an updated game (Burning Crusade or Wrath on top of a 4.0 install, for example).

The first approach to resolving this error should always be the repair tool. The repair tool is located in the World of Warcraft folder called repair.exe. Keep in mind that the repair tool cannot repair most completely-replaced files so it has a good chance of failing.

The second step is to completely remove the World of Warcraft game folder and reinstall using the latest install media. If you have the Cataclysm disc, please use that to reinstall the game directly. If you don't have the Cataclysm disc, use the 4.0 installer from Account Management. If you do not have either of those, you can use the older Wrath CD. Keep in mind that there are very large patches to download and apply if you install the older discs.

If you are still encountering this error we will need to see the complete error log. The error will have created a text file in the World of Warcraft\Errors folder. Please locate the most recent error file there and copy and paste the contents in a new thread on this forum.

6. Error 124

The "Error #124 - Memory Invalid Block" error message has been known to be caused by memory related hardware such as your hard drive, RAM, and/or motherboard. Please follow all the steps below as they may help resolve or identify the error you are experiencing.

Checking the hard drive

This error may be caused by the hard drive itself rather than the files stored there. Please follow these steps as to perform general maintenance for the hard drive. The first step is to perform a scandisk of the hard drive to look for errors on the hard drive itself that may result in data becoming corrupt.

(Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7)
1. Open My Computer, and select the local disk you want to check
2. On the File menu, click Properties
3. Click the Tools tab
4. Under Error-checking, click Check Now
5. Under Check disk options, select the Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors check box and the automatically fix file system errors box
6. Select yes to schedule after restart if a dialog box comes up prompting you to do so
7. Restart your computer

Alternatively, you can go to Start -> Accessories -> Command Prompt (for Windows Vista and 7 users, right-click on it and run it as an administrator), then type chkdsk /f

Memory diagnostic

This error can also signify faulty memory. The situations can vary, from improper configuration of RAM setting on the motherboard, mismatched RAM modules, faulty or failing RAM, etc. Please utilize Microsofts memory tester http://oca.microsoft.com/en/windiag.asp to test for any instability in the memory.

Be certain to run the tool using the extended test suite by pressing T while the Windows Memory Diagnostic is running. In addition allow the memory testing tool to thoroughly test the RAM over a period of 2 hours or longer.

Motherboard drivers

Make sure you have all the latest Motherboard drivers. Motherboard drivers will be available on your motherboard or system manufacturer's site. It is important that you follow all precautions given by your motherboard manufacturer when updating drivers or firmware. If you have any concerns about this step, please contact your motherboard or system manufacturer for assistance. Links to manufacturer's web sites can be found here: http://us.blizzard.com/support/article.xml?articleId=21124

You also want to make sure you have all the available updates from Microsoft found here: http://update.microsoft.com . This is especially important for older operating systems such as Windows XP and Windows Vista as many updates include enhancements/compatibility fixes.

7. Error 131

The "Error 131" error message is usually caused by corrupt game files.

The first approach to resolving this error should always be the repair tool. The repair tool is located in the World of Warcraft folder called repair.exe. Please use this tool, it will try to repair any corruption that exists, if it is unable to you may need to follow up with the next step.

The second step, as the repair tool will sometimes advise, is to reinstall World of Warcraft. Before reinstalling, be sure to uninstall WoW first by using the provided short-cut placed in WoWs Start Menu folder or by using the Add/Remove Programs tool in the Control Panel.

If you are still encountering this error please read our support page here:
http://us.blizzard.com/support/article.xml?articleId=21026

To begin troubleshooting this error we will have to see the complete error log. This error will have created a text file in the World of Warcraft\Errors folder. Please locate the most recent error file there and copy and paste the contents in a new thread below.

8. Error 132

The Error 132 is a vague error message that is reported when something went wrong that was unexpected and not previously documented. This error can exist due to the actual code being faulty or system instability. This was the first type of error that was created when WoW was made. The other types of errors in this thread were once Error 132s before they were isolated and separated as to their individual causes.

Please follow the steps listed here: http://us.blizzard.com/support/article.xml?articleId=21027 to begin troubleshooting the Error 132.

If you are still encountering this error we will need to see the complete error log. The error will have created a text file in the World of Warcraft\Errors folder. Please locate the most recent error file there and copy and paste the contents in a new thread.

It is important to note that Error 132s should not be grouped up with other people's 132 as most are different. A solution for someone may not apply to you. Here's the basic anatomy of an Error 132:

Header

==============================================================================
World of WarCraft: Retail Build (build 13205)

Exe: C:\Users\Public\Games\World of Warcraft\WoW.exe
Time: Oct 29, 2010 6:10:24.247 PM
User: User
Computer: USER-PC
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This application has encountered a critical error:

ERROR #132 (0x85100084) Fatal Exception
Program: C:\Users\Public\Games\World of Warcraft\WoW.exe
Exception: 0xC0000005 (ACCESS_VIOLATION) at 0023:20000000

The instruction at "0x20000000" referenced memory at "0x20000000".
The memory could not be "executed".

Information you can get out of it:
1. Version of the game that crashed. The crash log shows the build. It's important to make sure that you're on the latest build as some of these crashes will happen if you try to log into the game with an old build.
2. Path of the game - just in case you need to know where the game is installed.
3. The Instruction at 0xYYYYYYYY. This is the thing that crashed. You can search for the Y value alone (omit 0x) to see what thread it is in. Ideally you want to crash in wow.exe as that's the game that crashed.
- If you see a driver file, it means that either the driver itself did something that the game did not expect or you have a bad game setting.
- If you see a system file, it means that either a driver interacting with that system file or the system file itself is bad. Try updating Windows from Windows Update, any drivers that are out of date or use the sfc /scannow utility to check your Windows system files.
4. Referenced memory at 0xYYYYYYYY - This is useful when you're comparing your crash with another person. Generally it's the same crash if #3 points to the same file in the thread, and #4 is identical. If any are different, you have a different crash.

Near-top section

WoWBuild: 13205
Realm: Arygos [199.107.7.52:3724]
Local Zone: Sethekk Halls
Local Player: Septin, 05800000006F7123, (-52.7893,113.81,0.00722568)
Current Object Track: Sethekk Guard, F13047930000750C, (-47.7391,112.9,0.0557196)
Last Enemy Target: Sethekk Guard, F13047930000750D, (-53.942,115.495,0.620852)
Total lua memory: 13266KB
Current Addon: (null)
Current Addon function: UNKNOWN
Current Addon object: (null)
Settings:
SET locale "enUS"
SET patchlist "enUS.patch.battle.net:1119/patch"
~
~
SET playIntroMovie "4"

Information you can get out of it:
1. Realm IP address
2. Where your character was at
3. Any addons if the game crashed while doing an addon function
4. Game settings (if posting a log, make sure to remove your account information from it)

Mid-section

----------------------------------------
GxInfo
----------------------------------------
GxApi: D3D9
Shader Model: 3_0
Vertex: vs_3_0
Pixel: ps_3_0
Adapter Count: 1

Adapter 0 (primary):
Driver: nvd3dum.dll
Version: 8.17.0012.6099
Description: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 285
DeviceName: \\.\DISPLAY4

Information you can get out of it:
1. Video mode that the game is running on. Direct3D 9, Direct3D 11 or OpenGL
2. Video card capabilities being used
3. Video card information


Mid-section

----------------------------------------
Stack Trace (Manual)
----------------------------------------

Address Frame Logical addr Module

Showing 58/58 threads...

--- Thread ID: 3800 [Current Thread] ---
20000000 0040F828 0000:00000000 <unknown>

Information you can get out of it:
1. The game runs on a lot of different tasks. These are split into threads. The memory address from the top part will match to one of these threads.

Bottom-section

----------------------------------------
Loaded Modules
----------------------------------------

Information you can get out of it:
Things that are running while World of Warcraft crashed. Generally the top 10-15 are relevant while the rest are just extras that can be ignored.

Last section

----------------------------------------
Memory Dump
----------------------------------------

Information you can get out of it:
1. Not too much without developer tools. Your best bet is to skim the right-side of it and look for anything that looks like English or a URL. Sometimes it contains a copy of the error message and that's ok. If it contains a URL or contains your username/password, that's from a keylogger. If it contains addon-like talk, it's probably an addon that crashed you.

9. Error 134

There are several varieties of Error 134 that can be received however there are two primary types that are seen most often. For a complete listing of Error 134s please review our support pages here:
http://us.blizzard.com/support/article.xml?articleId=21028

The two most common types will be discussed here, one is caused by corruption in the World of Warcraft game files and the other is caused by a firewall or security feature restricting WoWs internet access.

Example of a corruption in WoWs game files:

ERROR #134 (0x8510086) Fatal Condition
Program: C:\Program Files\World of Warcraft\WoW.exe
Failed to open archive art.MPQ

The above type of Error 134 may vary on the actual file that is missing or damaged, this one is on the art.MPQ file. This error is commonly corrected by running the repair tool located in the World of Warcraft folder called repair.exe. This tool will try to repair any corruption that exists, if it is unable to you may need to follow up with the next step.

The second step, as the repair tool will sometimes advise, is to reinstall World of Warcraft. Before reinstalling, be sure to uninstall WoW first by using the provided short-cut placed in WoWs Start Menu folder or by using the Add/Remove Programs tool in the Control Panel.
If the error message references a specific file, you can delete that file and start the Launcher; the Launcher will try and download a new copy of that file. This will save time needed from reinstalling the entire game and patching.


Example of a firewall or security feature restricting WoWs internet access:

ERROR #134 (0x85100086) Fatal Condition
Program: C:\Program Files\World of Warcraft\WoW.exe
Unable to establish a connection to socket: The attempt to connect was forcefully rejected.

Many firewall and security applications will recognize the game as a new program after it has been patched and therefore must be reconfigured. The easiest method of doing this would be by entering your security software/firewall settings and remove any previous settings you had for the game. After you have removed these settings start up WoW. When you re-launch the game, your security program should prompt you to allow the game access to the internet or not, select yes in this case.

Also keep in mind that simply disabling security software/firewalls may still cause connection problems. Make sure that you reconfigure them properly. If you need assistance with configuring your specific security program/firewall, please contact the software manufacturer directly.

10. Black screen crashes/freezes
There are generally two different types of black screen crashes. The first will occur when launching the game and may be caused by unsupported hardware or outdated drivers. If your system meets the requirements, and your drivers are current, please make sure the version of DirectX you have installed is 9.0c or higher. The lastest DirectX version for Windows XP is 9.0c. The latest DirectX version for Windows Vista and 7 is 11. To test and obtain the DXDIAG information, please follow the instructions below:

Important Note: Please reboot your system prior to creating the dxdiag and files.

1. Click on Start.
2. Click on Run.
3. Type in DXDIAG and press Enter or click OK, this will open the DirectX diagnostic tool. If you're on Windows XP, run the DirectDraw, Direct3D and DirectSound tests found under the Display and Sound tabs before creating the dxdiag.txt file. If you're on Windows Vista or 7, just create the dxdiag.txt file.
4. Click on the Save All Information Button (save this file to your windows desktop and name it dxdiag).

The second type of black screen crash occurs during Gameplay. There are a number of possible causes that include, inadequate cooling, using an insufficient power supply, malfunctions within the video card, or improper powering of newer video cards. Disabling AGP Fastwrites or changing the AGP aperture settings in the BIOS (we do not recommend BIOS changes unless a technician is present) has corrected the issue in some cases. Some UIs may also cause the crash and deleting the WDB, WTF, and Interface folders located in the game directory on your hard drive may correct the issue. As always, if the steps listed to not assist you in correcting the error, please email [email protected]

11. Blue screen crashes (Windows)

A blue-screen error typically indicates a fundamental hardware conflict or failure. This failure causes one of the computer devices to shut down as a safety measure, to prevent damage to the computer. There are many types of blue screen errors, it is important to write down the exact error message that is displayed for proper troubleshooting. If your computer is restarting and you can't get the error message, stop the Windows automatic restart feature to get the error message to stick.
http://us.blizzard.com/support/article.xml?articleId=21033

Blue Screen Error "IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL" (also "STOP 0x000000D1")
According to Microsoft this error is typically caused by bad drivers. Please make sure you have all the latest drivers installed for each of your hardware components. This includes, but not limited to your video, sound, network card, and motherboard drivers.
Blizzard Support page: http://us.blizzard.com/support/article.xml?articleId=21248
Microsoft Support page: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb%3B%5BLN%5D%3B818501

NV4DSP.DLL
If you are receiving the Blue Screen Windows error screen concerning the "NV4DSP.Dll" file, you may need to update your video drivers to the latest version or revert your video card drivers back to an older version. If you haven't yet, please make sure you install the latest video card drivers and if that does not help, try reverting your video card drivers to an older version. To update or install an older version of your video card drivers, please go to the Nvidia website: ( http://www.nvidia.com/content/drivers/drivers.asp ). If you need assistance on how to do this, please contact your computer manufacturer, the manufacturer of your video card, and/or a local computer technician.
Some players have found that disabling trilinear filtering in the World of Warcraft Video options can also prevent this error.

Blue Screen Error "PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA"
The page fault error message is usually a driver or hardware failure (often memory-related) and more info can be found on Microsoft's Bug Check page: http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/w2kmsgs/1126.asp .
Updating or reinstalling your device drivers may fix the problem unless it's hardware related. You can find some general tips on that on our Driver Update Information page: http://us.blizzard.com/support/article.xml?articleId=21249

Blue Screen Error "STOP: 0x0000008E"
The key in finding the failure behind this problem depends on what other information Windows gives you. Typically this error is caused by one of two problems. The first is a memory issue, and Microsoft says it can be fixed by making sure you have the latest updates: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb%3Ben-us%3B827663
Microsoft: http://support.microsoft.com/

There are many other blue screen crashes that can be had. If none of these apply to you or help, try searching online using the search engine of your choice to see if you can find more information on it. You can also try checking guides such as http://www.maximumpc.com/article/features/blue_screen_survival_guide

12. Hard Locks and Soft Locks

A Hard Lock, which refers to all input being ignored and having to shut the computer down manually, can be the result of many issues. Please check this page for basic troubleshooting - http://us.blizzard.com/support/article.xml?locale=en_US&articleId=21020

Another possibility is that the system RAM may be faulty, is incompatible with other RAM in the system, or was not configured properly through the BIOS after installation. Please run a test, such as the one linked below, to check the RAM for errors.

http://oca.microsoft.com/en/windiag.asp

It is also recommended that if you have installed new or additional RAM that you contact your motherboard and RAM manufacturers to obtain the correct settings to operate the RAM you have installed properly.


Soft locks will not require a reboot. The mouse cursor should still function and the use of ALT+TAB should allow you to exit the program. You can also try Alt+F4 to exit the game. If you need more assistance with this crash, please email us at [email protected].

13. "Not enough storage to complete this command"

These errors are caused by various circumstances where the game runs out of RAM or storage on a particular file. Please keep in mind that World of Warcraft is a 32-bit program so it is limited to 2 GB of RAM as the maximum. If you're running many addons, please try removing those. If you're using very high settings or used script commands to go beyond the video/audio slider values, please revert those back to the default values.

This application has encountered a critical error:

Not enough storage is available to process this command.

Program: C:\Program Files\World of Warcraft\WoW.exe
File: .\DBCache.cpp
Line: 418

Requested 1677721600 bytes of memory

This particular error will happen if your cache files are corrupted. Most often this error can be resolved by just removing the Cache folder that is inside the World of Warcraft folder. Rename or delete that folder and try to run WoW again.

Conclusion

This thread will continue to be updated as errors occur and solutions become available. Please keep in mind that this forum is a place for users to assist each other and discuss similar issues in an effort to correct them. In most cases, users come to the Technical Support forum in order to contact a Blizzard Representative for direct help. The Technical Support forum is normally not available for this type of assistance and the ability to gather in-depth information is limited through this form of communication. If you cannot find a solution to your issue on this forum, or if your specific issue or thread goes unanswered or unresolved, please email us at [email protected]