Gaming Gal seeks help with re-installing after Vista upgrade

Hey all,
Long time lurker, first time posting. Anywho, i'm going to be installing Vista this weekend and I needed a few instructions on how to exactly re-install Guild Wars. I have all 3 editions. So...

1. Do I just need to install the first and put my code in and it'll do the rest? Do I need to re-add all my codes?

2. Is there a way to copy the .dat file and not have to re-do all of the above? (I know how to add my templates folder back, but will it work with the new .dat file or do I have to replace the "new" installation folder with all my "old"?)

3. If any of the above works, is it still recommended to do the "-image" when I go to bed that nite or will the .dat file (if it can be done) include everything?

Thanks guys for all your time and help reading this. I really appreciate it! XOXO.

Are you doing a complete system wipe or just an upgrade? Sounds like you are doing a total wipe. What I would suggest you do is burn a DVD with the Guild Wars system folder on it. Then once the install is complete pull the folder off the DVD and place it where ever you would like it. Then just run the GW icon in the folder and it should reinstall to the directory. It will keep all of your builds and data, so you don'y have to download everything again.
I've used this after a system wipe and didn't have to reinstall the entire thing.

If you have to reinstall, just download the client off guildwars.com. After the install, just enter your e-mail and password like you usually do. It will access your info on their server. They hold all of the information here, so no need to re-enter all of your codes. You'll just have to download everything again.

Hope this helps. Any questions just send me a pm.

All you need to do is install the game on your new computer and log in. I'd recommend letting it re-download the game data rather than copying the .dat file from your old computer. Good luck with Vista (I'm waiting until it's a more mature and stable platform, personally)!!

EDIT:
Ah, yes, forgot about the saved builds. Those are just text files. They'll probably all fit on a floppy disk.

yeah, It works no worries under vista, just make sure you have the most upto date graphics driver though

I've been using the retail vista since it was released with no issues, so if you need a hand, PM me

Thank you all for your help! Yes, i'm definitely doing a clean install of Vista. I've purchased a full install OEM version. I've got the new Vista drivers downloaded for my Nvidia card as well. Thanks again guys and see ya around on here or in game. If Vista blows up or any trouble with GW i'll know where to come back to

I'm runing dual windows, (c) drive is xp, (d) drive is vista. I wanted to try GW on vista to see how it copes, but was serprised to notice vista wont play GW that was installed on win xp. I even tried copying the whole gw folder files in vista's programs files folder but same problem.
I assume it won't play anythign from xp do to vista installation system being slightly different.
So only choice is to make a clean install from win vista, I did that and gw workd like charm. I can still switch to my win xp and play gw that I had installed on win xp. So in all I have 2 Gw on both windows. lol

No, you won't be able to access the majority of programs you installed from XP in Vista. This isn't because of differences in the installation between the two OS's, though. When you install software, aside from the files copied into your "Program Files\[App Name]" folder there are files and keys (settings information) added to other places. Most notably, keys are added to your System Registry (database of settings info) and sometimes files are copied to your Windows system folders. The Program Files folders, system folders, and system registry are not shared between OS's - they must each have their own. You would have the same problem if you installed two instances of XP side-by-side.

my advice: DONT INSTALL VISTA. Currently the only programs using the features ( namely direct X10 ) that will grant you any benefit are only in use by.....windows vista. Meaning that currently vista will give you no performance advantages that third party programs on XP cant give you. Vista wont be worth it until the second half of 2007 when designers are able to catch on to its use. With all the problems vista upgrades have been causing, it just isnt worth it to install yet.

Do not install windows vista until microsoft releases the OFFICIAL ( There are unofficial ones out their. ) Microsoft SP1 and its later security fixes. I have said it once, I will say it a thousand times more Do not install vista before the first official service pack and first security upgrade. ( last time I checked, its due later half of this year )

Yeah, but Minesweeper looks better in Vista.

Readyboost (preloading of common apps into RAM so they load faster), the search system, better security than XP SP2 even at release (already had one bit of malware stopped by DEP, very good bit of software), all are pretty good reasons to upgrade.

I've been using Vista as a main OS since Beta 2 and haven't had any problems whatsoever. MS have done a pretty good job with this OS.

And it's pretty.

Ok,. regarding my last post about the most uptodate drivers...

if your using Nvidia 6 or 7 series graphics cards, don't install the official drivers, they suck and made the game crash ofter the update... with out them, my system runs better and GW works fine and at a higher frame rate

Do you mean using Vista's standard/default drivers instead of using nVidia's latest drivers on their site?