Way to backup GW2 install?
You can copy the GW2.DAT file (but be aware it is a single file that is too large for most FAT32 devices like USB drives).
Once you get the GW2.DAT copied, you can start the new install from the MY ACCOUNT link on this site and then close the client when it starts the huge download. Then copy the DAT file over to the new install (overwrite the file that started to be downloaded) and then start the client again and it will go thru a (relatively) short repair process to verify and sync up the copied file.
We go out in the world and take our chances
Fate is just the weight of circumstances
That’s the way that lady luck dances
Fate is just the weight of circumstances
That’s the way that lady luck dances
FAT32 device? Just reformat it into NTFS. FAT32 is just a compatibility setting for older computers and if the oldest computer you have is say Vista or later XP, you don’t need FAT32.
If you format some devices (like SD cards, etc.) for NTFS, they will not function in non-PC devices (like cameras). There is a reason the default for removable media is FAT32 (on PCs at least). If you are sure you will never use the device on anything but a Win XP or higher PC, NTFS is fine (but NOT the default for formatting on a PC).
Certainly for this operation, NTFS is REQUIRED if you are using a non-HD device.
We go out in the world and take our chances
Fate is just the weight of circumstances
That’s the way that lady luck dances
Fate is just the weight of circumstances
That’s the way that lady luck dances
(edited by Brother Grimm.5176)
well, for a USB flash drive thing NTFS is the way to go.
No need to reinstall the game. Simply copy it over to a backup drive (thumb/flash drive, whatever) and copy it back to the new hard drive.
The game will recreate the registry entries and file locations that it needs.
Now, I haven’t tested this in a while, but I do have GW2 backed up on my other desktop (copied over the network) and it started up and ran no problem. So…as long as Anet hasn’t changed something, it should still work just by copying the folder.
I copy the game from my desktop to my laptops at home and they all play just fine.
Or you can just run it off the USB drive itself, that’s what I do, then I can play it on any computer I come across. It runs great on a usb3 64gb drive – you can get those pretty cheap these days.
Anyway, just copy the files back and forth, the only thing you will lose is the system preferences (things on the graphics/sound tabs in options) if it’s a new system.
That must load considerably longer than it would on a hard drive.
It’s actually faster than my sata6 drives. It’s a little slower than an ssd if that’s any indication.