Command line arguments

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There are multiple command line arguments which may be used to change the game's behavior during the start-up. These arguments can be set in the properties window of the game shortcut.

[edit] Using command line arguments

Instead of using the command line, you can execute switches directly from your Guild Wars shortcut:

Right click on your Guild Wars shortcut and select 'Properties'.
In the 'Target Area' field you will see the location of your Guild Wars executable file:
"<...>\Guild Wars\Gw.exe"
Write the desired command line arguments after the quote marks, each beginning with a space:
"<...>\Guild Wars\Gw.exe" -perf -windowed

If you don't plan on using an argument frequently, it can be easier to use the Run command for a single invocation. To do this, click the "Start" button and select "Run", and enter the same line you would use to make a shortcut: the full path of Gw.exe in quotes, followed by the arguments.

[edit] List of command line arguments

[edit] -bmp

Forces the game to create screenshots as .BMP files. Use for creating high-quality screenshots at the expense of much larger files.

[edit] -character "<character-name-string>"

Automatically fills the client’s security question field with the specified name, first and last, as entered between the quotation marks. Enables auto-log-in if used in conjunction with -email and -password.

[edit] -diag

Creates, at startup, a detailed diagnostic logfile which contains data about connection tests and hardware information, located in your game directory (..\Guild Wars\NetworkDiag.log). Useful for determining what is wrong when Guild Wars is not functioning properly.

Important: The program terminates after the logfile is created; since Guild Wars will not be able run with this parameter on, make sure to remove it once Guild Wars has finished creating the logfile.

Note: It is also possible to run the Guild Wars diagnostic utility by clicking the "Test My Computer" link on the login screen.

[edit] -dsound

Forces the use of old DirectSound software mixer. Good for users whose computers are not compatible with the newer version.

Also necessary for Creative ALchemy to work in Windows 7 and Vista.

[edit] -dx8

Useful for troubleshooting. Forces DirectX 8 compatibility; good for users whose computers are not compatible with the newer version. Using this switch with -noshaders may improve performance as well.

[edit] -email <string>

Sets the e-mail address, as specified in <string>, on the log-in screen. Combine with -character and -password to create an auto-log-in shortcut for a specific account.

[edit] -fps <number>

Limits the frame rate to <number> frames per second, saving computer resources.

[edit] -image

Forces the game to load all known updates.

Important: The program terminates after the update is completed; since Guild Wars will not be able run with this parameter on, make sure to remove it after all the content has been downloaded.

There are approximately 4.5 gigabytes of data to download, so broadband is advised.

The gw.dat file is the one that is updated in this manner, and it can be transferred over to other machines after updating.

Recommended: Create an additional shortcut on your desktop to Guild Wars that is labeled "Guild Wars Updater" and has this command line switch.

Note: It's also possible to download all files simply by running the Guild Wars program and letting it "sit" on the login screen. You'll see a small lightning bolt near the bottom right corner that indicates downloading is in progress. (Though it will not decompress the files (decompressing makes for even faster first start times)).

[edit] -mce

Start the client with Windows Media Center compatibility, switching the game to full screen and restarting Media Center (if available) after the client is closed.

[edit] -mute

Disables audio output, but still processes audio data internally (so for instance, lip syncing will still function).

[edit] -noshaders

Troubleshooting option. Using this switch with -dx8 may improve performance as well.

[edit] -nosound

Disables audio system completely.

[edit] -noui

Disables the user interface, producing the same effect as when one pushes Ctrl + Shift + H in-game to toggle it.

[edit] -password <string>

Enables auto-log-in if <string> is the correct password for the account, and either (A) is used with -character and -email or (B) details have previously been saved using the "Remember Account Name and Security Answer" checkbox. This argument must not be preceded by any other argument except for email.

Warning: Putting your password in a shortcut or a batch file makes it easily accessible to everybody with access to your computer. Never use this option if you are sharing your computer with other people whom you do not trust.

[edit] -perf

Displays performance indicators. Triangles, frames per second and transfer rate in bytes per second are displayed in white text in the upper-right corner of the Guild Wars window.

[edit] -repair

Attempts to fix the GW.dat file, in which all update information is stored.

If installed by CD/DVD it will ask for the install disk (disk 1).

Warning: If a lot of content has already been downloaded through updates, be prepared for a long wait as Guild Wars reconstructs the file.

[edit] -sndasio

Useful for troubleshooting. Attempts to use an ASIO driver in software mode.

[edit] -sndwinmm

Attempts to use the Windows Multimedia audio driver in software mode.

[edit] -uninstall

Uninstalls Guild Wars. Don't use this unless you REALLY want to remove this game from your computer.

[edit] -update

Prompts for install disk (disk 1) to update GW.DAT

[edit] -windowed

Forces Guild Wars to run in windowed mode.

Note: You can easily switch to windowed mode by pressing ALT + Enter or clicking the window icon in the upper right corner while the game is already running.

[edit] Unusable switches

The following command line arguments are known to exist but have no known use:

-authsrv
-exit
-map
-port
-resetmap
-sndfastbuf