What is the reason for having multiple WoW folders when multi-boxing?

[Yixum]

I keep seeing references in posts to people having multiple wow folders (i.e. wow1,wow2,wow3,wow4) which are just copies of the main wow folder. What is the point of this? I am dual-boxing right now and I only have the one folder. It seems to work fine. Could someone explain this to me please?

Thanks!

[Jubber]

Different configurations for different alts that are saved. Video settings and what not.

[Taliesin]

What Jubber said.

This includes addons as well. When my priest is on my main window, I use the Healbot addon to help with raiding, but when she's on a slave window, I have no use for that addon. Ditto for Omen and Recount. In fact, most of my slaves use very few addons at all. I just don't want to have to remember to turn on/off addons every time I log in.

[Korruptor]

An alternative is to use tools like ISBoxer. With ISBoxer you don't need multiple folders for addons or anything else since the settings are stored in a config.wtf specific to each character (this has to be manually configure as part of the setup in ISBoxer).

I use 5 accounts with one folder/addons and i disable the addons I dont need and the setting is retained for that character/account.

[kadaan]

First off, I believe most people symlink most of the folders instead of having multiple full copies of their wow install. This saves you a lot of disk space, and you only have to copy over a couple small files when you patch. There's tons of threads about how to do this, like this one: Symlinks ('http://www.dual-boxing.com/forums/index.php?page=Thread&postID=104491')

As others have said, you often times want different settings for different windows. My main window runs at a higher resolution, higher in-game graphics, higher fps. The slaves all run at lowest settings in smaller windows with maxfps and maxfpsbk set low. You can't do this with a single install unless you change the config.wtf file between launches.

[Bot]

i have 5 installs and i wish i had made 6, but seeing as im only two boxing nowadays it doesnt really matter anymore. the reason being when i play my main solo i use max resolution and all the jazz, but when i do into dual box mode my resolution is altered and it moves all of my action bars and other things like unit frames shift a bit. so i then have to adjust that stuff to dual box then when i fire back up for single boxing i gotta adjust it again.

but i dont do it often anymore so no biggie really and i really could just reconfigure keyclone and one of my other installs to handle it i just havent. but that to me illustrates another possible pro of multiple installs.

[Korruptor]

You can't do this with a single install unless you change the config.wtf file between launches.Again, with ISBoxer, this isn't a problem.

[Bot]

You can't do this with a single install unless you change the config.wtf file between launches.Again, with ISBoxer, this isn't a problem.keyclone can also do that provided you always boot through keyclone. what it cant do is change my addon positioning i dont think, and thats what bothers me.

edit: clarity

[Bot]

Five Seperate PCs > "all software options"unless of course youre trying to keep your guilty pleasure on the hush hush...

[aboron]

Five Seperate PCs > "all software options"unless of course youre trying to keep your guilty pleasure on the hush hush...
Or buy a really big case ('http://www.mountainmods.com/products_new.php'), and fit it with several really small computers ('http://www.msi.com/index.php?func=proddesc&maincat_no=388&prod_no=1526')...

[Vecter]

As others have stated the reason is to ease the configuration of each client. Although when I started I used 1 folder and it was fine. Now with ISBoxer I run virtual configs for each and it works great.

Off topic but in response...

I use ISBoxer and have found it to be quite nice for boxing, with a little work it really makes life easier. Not sure what's so scary about it as using it as-is doesn't promote or enable anything questionable. Could you? I am sure with some work you could, but saying that you could do that without it as well.

There is room for both hardware and software boxers, I don't think we need to be so opinionated on one or the other. Grow the field, support one another and have fun. :D

[Greythan]

Fur, I love you bro, but save the Lavish/Lax bashing for another thread.

I've been a steady user of InnerSpace for 7 months now and love the application. The support is top notch and the functionality mirrors Keyclone but with INSANELY fast window swapping.

I don't now how, or let alone use, any functionality that would violate the single keypress convention. I only broadcast keys as I've been too lazy to figure out how to broadcast mouse. As I understand it there are software tools that have innate functionality that would violate the ToS other than IS. (i.e., nothing unique to IS)

ISBoxer simply makes thet setup of IS easy. Nothing more, nothing less.

So, unless you are going to refer us to something current and substantiated that would warrant this type of comment:


That program is scary.
stop trying to incite.

[Greythan]

Fair enough Fur.

I'm obviously suffering from hardware envy anyway. I can't imagine my family's reaction to a hardware setup as enticing as it is. ;)

[Moorea]

I have a lot of wow folders where most of the content is a symlink to the main except for WTF (and hardlinks for wow.exe and launcher.exe and some dll on PC and actual copy when on mac)

wow1
wow2
...
wow5
for my 5 box case
wowd1
wowd2
...
wowd4
for when I 5 box with 1 on 1 computer and 4 on this one
wowduo1
wowduo2
for when I 2 box
wowtrio1
wowtrio2
wowtrio3
for when I 3 box, you get the picture :-)

when a patch come out I have .bat file I made to re hardlink the exes,...