Gw.dat

The file Gw.dat is a compressed archive file that contains all data that is required to run Guild Wars. Apart from game data – like graphics, sounds or texts – that is streamed and saved from the servers when needed, the Gw.dat contains the few user options that are stored on the local machine including video settings and the saved account name.

To save time in-game, it is possible to have the client download all available data on startup using the -image parameter of the executable file. It is also possible to copy the Gw.dat file to another machine to avoid having to download all the files again.

For information on the file structure see the file format article.