PowerShell script to create symbolically linked (mklink) copies of WoW

[Rax]

I'm having the exact same problem as DyzzyD.

When I run the script I keep getting spammed with the same error

At c:\bin\New-Wow.ps1:86 char12

[align=left]cmd <<<< /c "mlink $d `"$link`" `"$target`"" > $null [/align]
[align=left]The term 'cmd' is not recognized as a cmdlet, function, operable program or a script file. Verify the term and try again.

If anyone have a solution it would be grately appreciated[/align]

[TheHamburglar]

Ok so I think I got it working. I created wow1 and run 4 off of that and my main of the normal wow install. Do I need to run all 5 off of the one or a seperate for each?
Is there anyway to tell in the task manager if its working?

[DyzzyD]

Ok so I think I got it working. I created wow1 and run 4 off of that and my main of the normal wow install. Do I need to run all 5 off of the one or a seperate for each?
Is there anyway to tell in the task manager if its working?

Seems you have five accounts and are setting yourself up to use your wow1-5 folders and leaving your main wow folder alone. Am I right? You would run one from each individual folder, ie wow1-account1, wow2-account2 and so forth. When I mlinked my folders individually (without script), I went into each new folder, made a shortcut of wow.exe, named it according to the folder it would be originating from, and put the shortcut onto my desktop. Unfortuanately, when I went to start the accounts, I would get the "Failed to open archive interface.MPQ: The system cannot find the file specified" error.

When I have my four accounts up, the task manager shows four individual processess of "Wow.exe *32"

[Chorizotarian]

I'm having the exact same problem as DyzzyD.

When I run the script I keep getting spammed with the same error

At c:\bin\New-Wow.ps1:86 char12

[align=left]cmd <<<< /c "mlink $d `"$link`" `"$target`"" > $null [/align]
[align=left]The term 'cmd' is not recognized as a cmdlet, function, operable program or a script file. Verify the term and try again.

If anyone have a solution it would be grately appreciated[/align]

Cmd.exe is in c:\windows\system32, which should be in your path. Have you by chance removed it?

[TheHamburglar]

Ok so I think I got it working. I created wow1 and run 4 off of that and my main of the normal wow install. Do I need to run all 5 off of the one or a seperate for each?
Is there anyway to tell in the task manager if its working?

Seems you have five accounts and are setting yourself up to use your wow1-5 folders and leaving your main wow folder alone. Am I right? You would run one from each individual folder, ie wow1-account1, wow2-account2 and so forth. When I mlinked my folders individually (without script), I went into each new folder, made a shortcut of wow.exe, named it according to the folder it would be originating from, and put the shortcut onto my desktop. Unfortuanately, when I went to start the accounts, I would get the "Failed to open archive interface.MPQ: The system cannot find the file specified" error.

When I have my four accounts up, the task manager shows four individual processess of "Wow.exe *32"

At the moment I only have 1 copy (Wow1) and then the Original World of Warcraft folder. I run my Pally off of the normal install then 4 clones off the copy (wow1). I was pretty much wondering If i needed to create a copy for each Character.

I have it setup Like this:

World Of Warcraft = Bugged

wow1 = Shamin, Shamiin, Sheamen, Shaemen

Should Leave it or change it to this:

World of Warcraft = None
wow1 = Bugged
wow2 = Shamin
wow3 = Shamiin
wow4 = Sheamen
wow5 = Shaemen

[ChaoticMonk]

I currently run 5clients from one dir and get insane lag when I go to any major city aswell as when in Zangramarsh. Will doing this improve the performance at all? will I notice less lag in shatt for example?

[HPAVC]

I currently run 5clients from one dir and get insane lag when I go to any major city aswell as when in Zangramarsh. Will doing this improve the performance at all? will I notice less lag in shatt for example?

Yes it will, and significantly.

When you zone you swap one potion of the datafile for another. If one of your multiple characters reads its portion of the datafile and another and so on.

The computer optimizes this behavior normally by caching the data being read (like putting into short term memory the last few things you did) on the computer this shorter term memory is in RAM with nanosecond access time versus the long term memory which is in millisecond access time. So whenever possible you want to utilize cache since its many many times faster.

When you dont symlink you cause the computer the avoid using cache because each character will read in separate copies of the files. When we symlink them we allow for all the characters to load the same actual data and thus its cached.

This is obvious when one character zones and then shortly another character zones without any lag hit that the first character might have experience.

How much cache do you have and just how much is sped up varies on your machine specs like hard drives with more cache memory are going to aid in this, ide controllers with memory, possibly raid0 configuration (two drives that split the data load between them), dedicating a drive to your WoW toons, these all should help and likely some more.

[ChaoticMonk]

Thank you for the extreamly informative reply...I'll be linkin when I get home tonight

Edit: So let me see if I got this right"

1. Make 1 installation of WoW
2. Create 4 duplicates of the original installation omitting the \Interface and \Data folders
3. Symlink each of the duplicated wow folder's Data & Interface folders to point to the original installation's Interface & Data folders.

Thats it?

[DyzzyD]

Ok so I think I got it working. I created wow1 and run 4 off of that and my main of the normal wow install. Do I need to run all 5 off of the one or a seperate for each?
Is there anyway to tell in the task manager if its working?

Seems you have five accounts and are setting yourself up to use your wow1-5 folders and leaving your main wow folder alone. Am I right? You would run one from each individual folder, ie wow1-account1, wow2-account2 and so forth. When I mlinked my folders individually (without script), I went into each new folder, made a shortcut of wow.exe, named it according to the folder it would be originating from, and put the shortcut onto my desktop. Unfortuanately, when I went to start the accounts, I would get the "Failed to open archive interface.MPQ: The system cannot find the file specified" error.

When I have my four accounts up, the task manager shows four individual processess of "Wow.exe *32"

At the moment I only have 1 copy (Wow1) and then the Original World of Warcraft folder. I run my Pally off of the normal install then 4 clones off the copy (wow1). I was pretty much wondering If i needed to create a copy for each Character.

I have it setup Like this:

World Of Warcraft = Bugged

wow1 = Shamin, Shamiin, Sheamen, Shaemen

Should Leave it or change it to this:

World of Warcraft = None
wow1 = Bugged
wow2 = Shamin
wow3 = Shamiin
wow4 = Sheamen
wow5 = Shaemen

If you haven't gotten an answer, change to your 2nd option.
World of Warcraft = None
wow1 = Bugged
wow2 = Shamin
wow3 = Shamiin
wow4 = Sheamen
wow5 = Shaemen

This seems to be the setup that helps with performance.

[DyzzyD]

I'm having the exact same problem as DyzzyD.

When I run the script I keep getting spammed with the same error

At c:\bin\New-Wow.ps1:86 char12

[align=left]cmd <<<< /c "mlink $d `"$link`" `"$target`"" > $null [/align]
[align=left]The term 'cmd' is not recognized as a cmdlet, function, operable program or a script file. Verify the term and try again.

If anyone have a solution it would be grately appreciated[/align]

Cmd.exe is in c:\windows\system32, which should be in your path. Have you by chance removed it?

I went into Control Panel->System and Maintenance->System->Advanced System Settings->Environment Variables... "ComSpec" is the one that has the value of c:\windows\system32\cmd.exe while my Path has a value of c:\bin