Question about install Cataclysm from scratch

[:1]First off, Im not a WoW player myself; I played the original for about 6 months but never stuck with it. The reason Im posting here is because I plan to give my nephew - a very avid WoW player - a new laptop for Christmas and I would like to load Cataclysm on it as an included gift, but had a couple questions on what I need to get it on there.

This laptop will replace the current (very, very old) PC that he uses to play on. I also know that he has all current expansions installed.

Ideally, I'd like for him to be able to unwrap the laptop and have all expansions installed so that he can play it immediately without having to do a thing. I may be able to get the expansion install CDs from him, but was hoping there was any other way to install them (obviously without buying another copy of them) and if there was anything else I'd need.

I read the sticky in this forum about whats needed to install and it looks like I need to at least install the "base" WoW before installing Cataclysm, but was hoping for some additional clarification on exactly whats needed...

1. If I do get his expansion CDs, do I need to install all of them or are any of them cumulative (again I have no familiarity with expansions).


2. Will he be able to install the expansions he has already purchased on the new PC even though he's already installed them on an existing PC?


3. If I cant get his expansions, can I just install the trial thats available online, then install Cataclysm and then leave it to him to install the other expansions he has?


4. Do I need his (or any) Battle.Net / WoW login to install all of this and get the latest patches?

Thanks a bunch for the help and suggestions!! I really appreciate it!|||You will be able to install the entire game off of the Cataclysm disk (I believe) as you were able to do with the WOTLK disk.

However, you will beed to upgrade the account all the wat to Cataclysm, this means having to buy Classic WoW, TBC and WOTLK. It's the retail keys that are important. If he has already had his accout upgraded to WOTLK...all you need to do is upgrade his accoutn to CATA status.

1. No, you should be able to install everything in one shot with the CATA disk (massive download and patches from Blizzard.

2. Yes. It's not the expansions themselves or the PC that are unique to playing the game, it's the retail keys that govern the account status. If he's upgraded to say WOTLK, he can play up to that on any maching (even mine) provided that the client side software is up to date with the current version live in game.

3. No, that will create more of a headache. Better thing to do is use the CATA disk to install the game on the new laptop. Then let him log in with his account and enter the retail key, then it will patch the laptop to the current version of the game... I.E. 4.0.3 as of this time. You won't need his expansions, everthing will update as long as his accout is for Cataclysm. On the same note, if you just gave him the game in a sealed box and he installed it, same thing happens...it will update.

4. To install the data from the disk, no. To get patches, and update to playable status...yes.|||If you have a fast internet connection, you might wanna consider downloading the client from the wow website.

This is always up to date and it will save u patch downloads.

I think at least...|||Quote:








If you have a fast internet connection, you might wanna consider downloading the client from the wow website.

This is always up to date and it will save u patch downloads.

I think at least...




if my past experience has anything to go by with the wow installer on the wow site then it is the retail copy so you need to patch just as much as you would from installing from the Cat disc.

But if you just wana install it then yes your best bet would be to go to the ww website and download there installer for cat and keep updating till at the latest version.|||uh guys..i need help about this matter too..i don't know anything about installing WoW..

so..as far as i have done..i have downloaded the game client from the wow site..it was battle.net i think..so..when i started installing it..it didn't have any options whether i would like to install classic wow or TBC or WotLK..it was directly the WoW Cataclysm..i havent finished installing yet..I was only until part 1 of the "thing"(i think it was the patcher)..so what do i do then?..|||On the battle.net website, there is only one client with all the content you need for WoW classic and all the expansions. You install everything, and that is normal, so just let it run. It is your account that decides to which parts of that content you have access to.|||uh..so i have no problem installing then?..so after that installation i can play the game?..

i dont quite understand what do you mean by "It is your account that decides to which parts of that content you have access to."..

so after i install those..what do i do next to make it work?..also can i play it on a private serveR?..|||i think i need to purchase the game from battle.net..so please..reconsider..

can u give me any other way on how to download and install the game starting from nothing?..and i would like to play the game in a private server..|||private servers are a big no no - so don't expect ANY help with that stuff here.|||Just for reference sake, I'll answer your question about what I meant. If you have only a classic account, the client is still the same as anyone who has one or more expansions. When you buy a copy of the game or of any of its expansions, you actually pay for the account key and not the physical client. The physical client is even freely available for download. It is the same client for everyone, but it is your account key that dictates to what content you have access. So, if you only have a classic account, you will not be able to create any of the expansion races, for instance, but you will still be able to see them in-game.

But yeah, so you'll have to pay to play.

But that being said, waflob is correct that these forums do not condone the discussion of private servers, as that breaks Blizzard's Terms of Service and therefore our forum rules as well. You will not get any help here setting up or joining a private server. I will leave the thread open for now, should you have any more questions about getting to run the actual game on legit servers, but do not ask again how to use a private server.