I cannot update wow (retail) as i get stuck in initializing. all other games work fine, just not wow. i have tried uninstalling wow retail, wow classic, and wow ptr and reinstalling wow retail. i cant install because im still i initializing… ive also attempted to install in a new folder. this hasnt worked either. im not sure why its not connecting for wow when hearthstone, diablo etc work fine and arent getting stuck on initializing.
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same… stuck at 0% Updating: Initializing for hours
(Edit: on a Macbook. I did go through all the recommended steps, disk utility scans, etc)
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Same here… I can’t even uninstall mine
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Same here stuck at 0%. I have updated everything, turned off antivirus, rebooted. Started Battle.net in admin mode nothing works. Not sure what I can do to get this to work. Very frustrating.
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Same here. Been stuck for about an hour. Cannot uninstall or scan or update. It either stays on initializing or waiting for another update…
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im stuck too…same thing
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It seems to just be on Windows, my wife’s Mac updated just fine.
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Same, tried restarting PC, scanning files for repair, closing the “battle.net Update Agent” in task manager… no luck yet.
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Just checked twitter - apparently they are working on it
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Same here. Been stuck a few hours.
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Same here. Been stuck a few mins.
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I HAVE A FIX: Close out of the battle.net launcher, go into your program files to your world of warcraft folder and then go into the retail folder and just double click the Wow (NOT Wow Launcher) and you will bypass the launcher! Your welcome boys.
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I am having the same issue. My game was working fine this morning/afternoon before I logged off. When I attempted to log back in this evening my updater is stuck at “Initializing 0%” and will not move. I have updated my Windows and checked all my drivers. I even rebooted my internet and computer multiple times with the same result. I love how you cant even get ahold of Blizzard technical support to help you. When you go on the website, it just directs you to the forums.
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I have been stuck on initializing for hours now.
I have tried relaunching, restarting computer, bypassing by using the World of Warcraft application. Nothing has worked at all.
Tried everything myself. It’s been over a year so I uninstalled the game all together. Hopefully I can get everything reinstalled tomorrow because I’ve wasted enough of my time tonight.
KermitDooby’s solution did not work for me. Neither did restarting my PC nor using the scan/repair feature on the game launch screen. Just have to be patient, I guess!
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KermitDooby’s solution also did Not work for me. While it removed the “initializing…0%” from the Blizzard Launcher & changed the launch button from “Updating” to “Play”, clicking the “Play” button (for the Live / Retail version) did nothing, nothing happened at all, the Live/Retail version of the game did Not launch, nor did it continue updating. I note that the Classic Wrath version had updated shortly before I encountered the Live/Retail version issue and that the Classic Wrath version is operating & launching normally. (My version of that file is today’s date.) I went to the “Wow.exe” file in the retail sub-folder of the “World of Warcraft” folder and attempted to start the game from there HOWEVER I find that particular exe file is Not responsive. My version of that file is dated 28 September. For comparison I also went direct to the “WowClassic.exe” file in the classic sub-folder and confirmed that using that exe file direct does effectively launch the Classic Wrath version just as I had expected the “Wow.exe” file to do for the Live/Retail version. I am no expert but this seems to point to a problem in the Wow-exe file, perhaps a corruption that occurred as the update launched ?!?!!?
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I to was stuck in initializing got so bored I noticed at the top of the battle net page next to the notification bell an arrow in motion clicked on it. It took me to the settings page for downloads. I made no changes left everything as it was but clicked on the scan for games button a page popped up showing i had WOW since that is my only game i clicked on the did we miss one button anyway got the same screen clicked on the locate button and that took me into computer files which are all just jibberish to me clicked on the one that said battle net and just backed out of there to the settings page clicked the “DONE” button on the bottom of the page a little window briefly popped up that said battle net has started a download like i haven’t been hearing that all day! But sure as **** seconds later my play button lit up and i was ready to roll hope this helps but i really didn’t do anything
UPDATED FIX: I am SO SORRY, do not click the Warcraft launcher, in your World of Warcraft folder, click on retail folder, then click WoW! (Wow not Wow Launcher)
In the hours since my previous post this issue has resolved itself for me. I found another concurrent thread on the same issue in the “Desktop App Feedback Discussion” forum where the OP later reported resolving the issue by obtaining another copy of the “wow.exe” file from another source saying that the update had deleted that file in his/her case. I intended to follow that path also but meanwhile noted Scottyjay’s post . Scottyjay is describing entering & looking around in the “Download Manager” which pops up the down arrow in that location whenever a Download is pending or active . From his description it was actively downloading, or trying to download, (the arrow was ‘moving’) when he looked, so maybe just looking triggered completion. In my case the arrow was static and when I looked the download was reported as “paused” at 0% with no apparent way of restarting or progressing the download. Finally I decided to go right back to the beginning again and for about the 4th time since this issue started I restarted the computer itself. On this occasion, after computer restart, and then application relaunch, the download proceeded to promptly progress to completion !!!