Question: Play Old and Reforged Warcraft 3 on same computer?

[Thormil]

Hey I have a question. I've seen people, like the Youtuber Jayborino, play a myriad of campaigns meant for different versions of Warcraft 3. Both reforged and earlier editions. I've tried getting both to run on my own device but the Reforged always updates my 1.31 file. Is there a way to have both on the same device, or is a different computer needed?

 

[Tasyen]

you can have many warcraft 3 versions on one computer, but put each in an own folder.
Inside the Blizzard-App-Launcher there are options - game settings in which you can choose the place warcraft 3 (Reforged) is installed, make sure it points to warcraft 3 reforged.

Some time ago V1.31.1 did have a new version popup on game start, but I didn't encounter that for months, it is said Blizzard disabled that.

 

[A]mun]

^ But how to fix the overwriting of registry entries, which the Reforged version enforces?
Probably by forcing ones own registry entries when starting earlier wc3 versions?

 

[Thormil]

Thanks for the replies! So a method to to about this is to ensure it downloads to a folder not possessing the warcraft 3 patch I have? Oris there still risk of it overriding existing files?

 

[ThompZon]

If you currently have reforged installed, let it be. You run it from the Bliz App thingie.

To keep another version I'd do the following:
Get the files for your preferred version (not installer!) and extract it in a sperate folder (WC3 Download Archive (1.00 - 1.31.1 + BETA & DEMO)).
Start that version (if it's 1.31.1, you start game from the "...\Warcraft III 1.31\x86_64\Warcraft III.exe", and the editor from the "...\Warcraft III 1.31\x86_64\World Editor.exe", never start it in any other way!).
Note that you need a RoC CD-key to run it, reforged licence thingie does not work as far as I know.

If you have run reforged once since last time you were in editor, you need to delete a register key (open regedit, find: Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Blizzard Entertainment\WorldEdit, and delete: "Tool Windows").

Note: I've only done the above for 1.31.1, so other installers for older versions might or might not work. Listen to other people about that.

 

[Ravager16829]

There are some people who posted the same way:
Guide for running old versions of Warcraft III side-by-side with Reforged - Reddit
Is it possible to have two versions of game installed at the same time? - Reddit
Play WC3 on 1.26a and 1.28 - Reddit (This guide is obsolete for latest versions of WC3)

Also, Eurobattle.net provides two separate versions of their client for 1.28 and 1.26, which can be installed on separate folders without problem.

 

[Daffa]

^ But how to fix the overwriting of registry entries, which the Reforged version enforces?
Probably by forcing ones own registry entries when starting earlier wc3 versions?

There's no problem with registries for the game as far as I am aware of (different story for the editor). Just put the other versions' full installation on different folders. And no, don't use installers.

EDIT:
ThompZon provides a better one, and I was not aware of that registry issue.

 

[ThompZon]

There's no problem with registries for the game as far as I am aware of (different story for the editor). Just put the other versions' full installation on different folders. And no, don't use installers.

EDIT:
ThompZon provides a better one, and I was not aware of that registry issue.

Maybe I pointed out the wrong registry key. Maybe it's the other "tool" thingie... It was a while since I did anything for latest version...

 

[Thormil]

Thank you all for the assistance. I've managed to get multiple patched versions of warcraft 3 working and it running smoothly. All the responses been great ^>^

 

[Ravager16829]

To be clear, all of the patches since 1.28+ from the link ThompZon provided cannot be installed by patch. Those are a complete game and must be unzipped as a whole into an empty folder.

Also, I found out that the registry setup in 1.28 doesn't seem to work if you install it along with 1.26:

That registry setup will not work with 1.28 due to the save games folder not matching in format (proper slashes instead of backslashes).

1.26 doesn't work only due to "video" settings registry keys, but I do not recommend even using it

 

[BogdanW3]

This is only mostly true, as patches did once upon a time have their own MPQs and methods to install like that. If anyone ever saved those MPQs, patches will have been installable more or less. And the registry setup is a thing one should never expect to work perfectly, it's a miracle it mostly has (other than 1.28 only liking the wrong slashes and 1.26's video stuff).

I am glad Thormil had luck with all of this though.
@Thormil may your journey with many patches prove a fun one!