Project Lore

Via a WordPress tech blog. Ever since Onyxia realized she could regrow her head I've had issues with World of Warcraft.  I have no idea if it's patch 3.2.2 specifically, but that is when the problem became obvious.  Patch 3.2.2a, which was supposed to fix bugs created with 3.2.2, did nothing for me.  My more-than-capable computer continues to hit awful spikes that cause the framerate to drop from 60FPS to something below 40 FPS, seemingly at random.  It's not awful, but the switch in smoothness is jarring and not pleasing.  Especially when you are used to the game running perfectly. I haven't been able to fully resolve my issue yet, due to lack of effort more than anything else.  But that'll change tonight.  After spending the better part of this morning looking up similar issues, collecting data on solutions and using plain old common sense, I've come up with a run down of things to do if your WoW installation begins acting up. There are a few details to keep in mind.  First off, they are in order from least to most time consuming, which generally means least to most difficult.  There's a good deal of information compiled here, and likely more to show up in the comments, but we offer no guarantee and take no responsibility for any of the tactics you employ.  As a last resort, you can always do a full reinstall of the game - the most time consuming process by far.  If that doesn't work, then you are likely looking at a hardware problem, not good. Before we even get into the list, a couple general IT rules of thumb.  Have you restarted yet?  No, go do it, it may save you a ton of time.  Have you added anything new to the system - software, hardware, add-ons?  Yes, then that's where you should begin.

1. Grab new drivers/updates - It doesn't matter if you are a Nvidia, ATi or Intel user, if any game starts acting funny, new drivers may help.  If you play something other than WoW then you likely have semi-new drivers.  Be on the lookout for other system updates, Windows Update, as well.
2. Play with the graphics sliders - I know you want the game to play as it did before, but give this a whirl anyways.  It's not a fix, so much as a way to gain a list of symptoms to diagnose the main problem.  If changing the sliders does nothing, then the hardware in the machine is probably okay.  Big sigh of relief.  If it does help, then there could be cooling issues, the graphics card or CPU could be hurting, perhaps your anti-virus scanner decided to kick in or you've got some spyware eating up your precious clock cycles.
3. Try a different game - Same thought process as above.  If comparable or more taxing game X still plays fine, then the problem is definitely software.
4. Add-ons - Add-ons are great, until they bring your game to a frame-dropping halt.  The LUA-based strings of code are one of the main software bugs to crop up in WoW.  Since the buggers aren't allowed to auto update, you could be using ancient code that's causing problems (a likely scenario after a patch), add-ons can be poorly coded or you may have so many add-ons that they are fighting for resources, or causing massive conflict battles.  The simple diagnosis is to disable all add-ons in the loading screen.  If you see an improvement you'll have to systemically enable and disable one add-on at a time to see which is the culprit.  Seek it out, destroy it, and update it with the newest version.  And it could be more than one.
5. Delete WTF/Cache folders - Patching and the general User Interface are another software bug that leeches off of WoW.  The WTF folder is where all your add-on and patching information resides.  Like the topic above, it can cause numerous issues.  Rename the folder (to backup the data) and allow WoW to create a virgin copy for you.  The Cache folder is the new WDB folder, and performs the same important function as cache for your web browser.  It needs to be cleaned out now and then as well.
6. Do a repair - Blizzard now includes its own repair utility in the World of Warcraft directory for Windows users.  The tool will scan through all the game files for corruption and selectively download any and all files that have been touched by Fel energies.  It's quite time consuming, but far faster than the alternative.
7. Reinstall - Grab the disks or begin a download.  This last ditch effort should be attempted only if everything else has failed you, and you have tons of evidence pointing towards a software problem.  I'd be safe and completely uninstall and delete the WoW folder before beginning a new install.

Due to the infinite combination of PC parts, and the complex software we are dealing with, a solution for me may not be the solution for you.  Don't get discouraged after trying a few things and failing to see a return to your previous FPS level.  Feel free to drop a comment with your symptoms, or better yet, suggestions to add to the list and helpful tips to those having problems. I'll just head these comments off before they come; getting a Mac is not a solution. There's also many other things you can check on your computer, but that is outside the scope of this article.  I hope that your machine runs World of Warcraft like new after all of these tasks, but if it doesn't you should begin to worry about your PC's overall health.  Defragging and disk space, RAM tests, CPU test, GPU test, heating issues, these are all things that can be performed to ferret out the faulty piece in your complex computer system.  Unfortunately, they are technical, complex, often time consuming and possibly expensive.  The exacts reason why you hope the numbered list can solve your issue.

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