Guildwars (gw.exe) Switches / Command line options

[EternalTempest]

Guild Wars Command Line Switches 2.1.6
July 25th, 2008

This is a community project pulling from various source's, especially guildwarsguru.

How to alter the shortcut

1)Right-click the Guild Wars icon.
2)Select 'Properties'.
3)Select the 'Shortcut' tab.
4)In the 'Target' field...

Example "C:\Program Files\Guild Wars\Gw.exe" -switch1 -switch2 -switch3

Switches

-authsrv
Used to change where GW authenticates to / connect to server. Most likely uses by testers to hook to beta/development servers.

Usage: "C:\Program Files\Guild Wars\Gw.exe" -authsrv xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx
Where xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx = the IP address (ex 127.0.0.1)

-bmp
Screen shots will be in the original bit map (higher quality / larger size) instead of jpeg.

Usage: "C:\Program Files\Guild Wars\Gw.exe" -bmp

-diag
Run's anet Diagnostic Utility. It will create a log file (NetworkDiag.log) and save it in the same folder that the main GuildWars program is located. It runs network connection tests as well as detailed hardware/direct x information. If your working with anet support, this log file contains very valuable information and sending it would help them greatly.

Usage: "C:\Program Files\Guild Wars\Gw.exe" -diag

-dsound (1st Appeared in April 5th Update)
Uses the older / replaced Microsoft direct sound audio engine.

Usage: "C:\Program Files\Guild Wars\Gw.exe" -dsound

-dx8
Forces Direct X 8 graphic rendering. GuildWars graphic engine was updated and automatically runs Direct X 9 if your hardware supports it. Enabling this an older video or non-supported video cards may allow guildwars to run or run better.

Usage: "C:\Program Files\Guild Wars\Gw.exe" -dx8

-email
Allows you to specify a specific e-mail address to use. Easily combined with the password switch. If you have two account, create two shortcuts, one for each account.

Usage: "C:\Program Files\Guild Wars\Gw.exe" -email=xxxxx@xxxxx.xxx
(xxxxx@xxxxx.xxx = e-mail address)

-fps
Frames Per Second Limit - Can limit or cap the max frames per second
Usage: "C:\Program Files\Guild Wars\Gw.exe" -fps x

Where x = the max frames per second. If you say -fps 10 GW will not render more then 10 frames per second.
Used to slow down guildwars on the high end test computer anet used to replicate "normal" fps / speed, could be useful if computer hardware starts jumps too far ahead and gw (chat, etc) is running too fast.

-image
Downloads all files and Decompresses any compressed files in the gw.dat file. This will improve load time in new area's and get you up to date. ** During this process it may max out your computer (high cpu and memory usage) aka don't multi-tasks during this process **

The game will EXIT as soon as it's done checking. Remove switch to make GW playable again.

Usage: "C:\Program Files\Guild Wars\Gw.exe” -image

-map
Unknown Switch

-mce
Unknown Switch
If your running Windows Media Center Editon, with this switch, Media Center (program) launches after guildwars exits

Usage: "C:\Program Files\Guild Wars\Gw.exe" -mce

-password
Automatically fills in the password

Usage: "C:\Program Files\Guild Wars\Gw.exe" -password=*****
Where ***** = your current password

-perf
Displays the performance statics - Tri, FPS, and Bytes/Sec
(Tri = Triangles, FPS = Frames per second, Bytes/Sec = Transfer Rate)

Usage: "C:\Program Files\Guild Wars\Gw.exe" -perf

This is independent (show's up in upper right corner of the screen) of the added network connection / frames per second status dot in the lower right hand corner that was added to guildwars.

-port
Unknown Switch

-repair
Attempts to run a "repair" GuildWars install files. Suspect this only works if you installed from a CD/DVD, not the download client

Usage: "C:\Program Files\Guild Wars\Gw.exe" -repair

-noshaders
Disables Pixel and/or Vertex? Shader's (part of Direct X). Using this with the dx8 switch may help you get GW to run better (less taxing on the card) for low end cards / not quite supported (on board intel for example).

Usage: "C:\Program Files\Guild Wars\Gw.exe" -noshaders

-nosound
No Audio. Same effect as -mute switch. *Suspect* one mutes the volume, where the other disables the sound engine.

Usage: "C:\Program Files\Guild Wars\Gw.exe" -nosound

-mute
No Audio. Same effect as -mute switch. *Suspect* one mutes the volume, where the other disables the sound engine.

Usage: "C:\Program Files\Guild Wars\Gw.exe" -mute

-noui
No user interface at all. Disable the user interface.

Usage: "C:\Program Files\Guild Wars\Gw.exe" -noui

-sndasio
Use the newer (FMOD) sound engine, with ASIO output

-sndfastbuf
Use the newer (FMOD) sound engine, with ? option

-sndmultispk
Use the newer (FMOD) sound engine, with ? multi-speaker output ? option

-sndwinmm
Use the newer (FMOD) sound engine


-uninstall
This will uninstall guildwars.

Usage: "C:\Program Files\Guild Wars\Gw.exe" -uninstall

-windowed
Start GuildWars in a window mode vs Full screen on start up. You can then make it full screen as normal (or latter go back to windowed as normal)

Usage: "C:\Program Files\Guild Wars\Gw.exe" -windowed

-exit
Game doesn't launch... suspect it invokes.. exit?

Removed Switches

-heapsize
Allows you to specify / limit memory that guildwars uses. This trick could make the game run better or worse depending on how it was set correct/incorrect. I suspect due to the complex nature of this switch, it was removed.

Usage: "C:\Program Files\Guild Wars\Gw.exe” -heapsize xxxxxx

-newsound
Unknown Switch
(Suspect it enabled the FMOD sound engine for testing before it went live in the game)

If you find more, figure out how to use above, find error's, please post

Sources:
The responses to this thread
The response from the old thread
Guru Community (other threads, especially tech)
And links to other sites listed in this thread

[Bgnome]

"- perf" is enough to show fps

[FrogDevourer]

Excerpt from SoF forum:
http://forum.sof-guild.com/index.php?showtopic=841

Additional switches available for the GW.exe command :
-update
-uninstall
-noui
-nosound
-noshaders
-repair
-port
-perf
-password
-map
-fps
-email

[D.E.V.i.A.N.C.E]

huh for some reason I cant get the -email to work
the -password works and auto logs in IF it had the address rembered in there; I want to setup 2 shortcuts but

this is how I got it...
"C:\Program Files\Guild Wars\Gw.exe" -email=****@***.com -password=*** -heapsize 128000 -nosound -perf

It will tell me "" is not a vailed email address...
so far I'v tried
-email=***
-emal ***
-emal:***
-email***

I think my firewall is stoping code injections when I run the shortcut...

nope.

[Numa Pompilius]

I'm not sure if I'm imagining things, but... it looks like the graphics got 'clearer' after increasing heapsize?
It's like the contrast increased or the LOD bias was changed or something. Can't put my finger on it, but the graphics just look... crisper.

Anyone else notice anything?

[D.E.V.i.A.N.C.E]

hmmm I found this forum when i googled "guild was auto login"
http://forums.gwonline.net/showthread.php?t=378602

seems that -email was disabled...

dangit

I tired other various searches..
Guild Wars Command Line
Gw.exe -perf
Gw.exe -email
Gw.exe -password

but most of them said what you did; in french and spanish also...

[wolver1ne]

What's that map switch?

Heapsize doesn't do much for me with 1.5GB of RAM>

[lawman]

for some reason i can only get the first switch to work. When i try to put more than one the following ones dont work.

[Loviatar]

Originally Posted by D.E.V.i.A.N.C.E

hmmm I found this forum when i googled "guild was auto login"
http://forums.gwonline.net/showthread.php?t=378602

seems that -email was disabled...

dangit

I tired other various searches..
Guild Wars Command Line
Gw.exe -perf
Gw.exe -email
Gw.exe -password

but most of them said what you did; in french and spanish also...

try doing the same things for setting up 2 accounts to run at the same time and have a shortcut for each and run them one at a time using the shortcut for auto log in for the one you want

[Sol_Vie]

I tried the FPS and Speedier map loading... the map loading seemed to work, though minimally. The FPS still won't show though.

[lawman]

Originally Posted by Sol_Vie

I tried the FPS and Speedier map loading... the map loading seemed to work, though minimally. The FPS still won't show though.

for me they seem to work if you only put one on. But if you use more than one, it only uses the first one.

[EternalTempest]

Been testing some of the options

-nosound = No Sound

-noui = No user interface (I think this invokes the same effect when you do screenshot without gui but it's on all the time) note you can not select character with this switch let alone log in.

-noshaders = Tried this and things (graphics) looked diffrent.. but can't place it. I *think* it disable GW pixel/vetrix shader support. If this is true, may be a nice mod for lower end cards that can almost play gw like intel.

I almost want to think there has to be a switch in reguards to DirectSound.
-nodirectsound or -nods did NOT work on disabling direct sound.

Also, it appears that -heapsize has to be at the end, be the last switch

Also found this threed
http://www.gwrage.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=653
-fps x = Where x is a numerical value, you limit the game to that many FPS

(I did try this, set it to 10 fps, and was very jerky - wonder if setting this higher then 60 will give you faster refresh rate?)

[Sol_Vie]

I fixed it... accidentaly had the original target in there twice.

[Juhanah]

Is there one to open two clients on the same computer without changing user in Windows?

It would help to transfer stuff from 2 different accounts.

[agent of ascalon]

i thouhgt the title said emote line up, but im confused

[Evan The Cursed]

Do they all have to have equal signs?

like -password=******** and -heapsize=******?

[Wrath Of Dragons]

say i have 512 ram(its a laptop...gimme a break)....when you do the heapsiz thingy, and i set it to 128000(256ram) will that make things better, or is my laptop probably be using more then 256 already?

[Wrath Of Dragons]

anyone?

[D.E.V.i.A.N.C.E]

its to allocate memory on demand (always); typing in -heapsize 128000 would allocate 128mb of ram to process (gw.exe) typing in heapsize -256000 would be 256mb of ram; the guy above recommends allocating half your ram to it; so 256000 would be your number.

its good for comps with low ram.

[sno]

Originally Posted by EternalTempest

(I did try this, set it to 10 fps, and was very jerky - wonder if setting this higher then 60 will give you faster refresh rate?)

Why would you want to do this, if your screen refreshe s at 60fps. It may refresh quicker, but you'll never notice because your monitor itself isn't refreshing any faster (unless your monitor doesn't refresh at 60fps, like most do.)