Being a mighty hero of the Azeroth, it might be difficult to keep oneself away from the game. What if an error message that states unable to validate game version WOW, is the impending factor that halts your gaming experience? Owing to the wide popularity and the diversity of magic and characters, the online game, World of Warcraft has been one of the most played games. The error message, unable to validate game version World of Warcraft, occurs usually due to some interference. The article focuses on the methods to fix can’t validate game version WOW error message.
How to Fix World of Warcraft Unable to Validate Game Version
The probable causes for which the error message may be displayed on the WOW game are listed below.
- Corrupt Game File- If the WOW game file or the setup file is corrupt or has some misleading entries, the error message might occur.
- Interference from other Programs- The WOW game may be interfered with by the conflicting programs running in the background of your PC.
- Outdated WOW Client- If the WOW game is outdated or the patch is not applied to the game after some changes, the error message may get displayed.
- Server is under Maintenance- If the Blizzard server is under maintenance, you may encounter the error message when trying to play the game.
- WOW patches are deployed- In some cases, the operating team deploys the patches of the World of Warcraft game in non-maintenance periods to fix urgent issues. During this time, the error message may be displayed on the app.
- Incompatibility with Game Server- If you are using a private server and have not modified the accepted client version, the incompatibility issue with the server on the game may cause the unable to validate game version World of Warcraft error. In addition to this, if you are using any specific version of the previous private server, you may face this error due to incompatibility issues.
Method 1: Basic Troubleshooting Methods
As a first approach to fixing can’t validate game version WOW error message, try the following troubleshooting methods given here.
1A. Check Compatibility with Server
In some cases, the private server you are connecting to may not support the game version you are using. You can check if the private server supports the game version with a simple google search. For instance, the WoWFusion server can support the patch 2.4x version of the game.
1B. Check Server Status
You can check the status of the WOW server using the link given here on your default web browser. If the server is down, the error should auto-resolve after a few minutes, or in the other case, the error may occur due to some other reason.
1C. Repair System Files
If the game file is corrupt or if any other virus-infected file is conflicting with the game, you can try repairing the system files. Use the link given here to learn more about the options to repair the system files.
1D. Close all Background Applications
As listed as a cause, the applications running in the background conflicting with the WOW game may cause the unable to validate game version World of Warcraft error. You can try closing all these applications using the Task Manager on your PC. Click on the link given here to learn more about the process to close the background applications.
Method 1E: Rename WOW Game Folder
If you are facing the unable to validate game version WOW error, you can try renaming the WOW game folder to World of Warcraft.
1. Press the Windows + E keys at the same time to open Windows Explorer and navigate to the WOW folder.
2. Right-click on the WOW folder and click on the Rename option.
3. Type World of Warcraft and press the Enter key to rename the folder.
1F. Log in using Account Name
If you are trying to log in using your registered email address, it might cause some conflict with the data and they can’t validate game version WOW error might occur. You can try logging in to your account using your account name or account credentials.
1G. Create New Account
As another option, you can try creating another account on the WOW game and then check if the unable to validate game version World of Warcraft error message persists on the game.
If you have recently downloaded any other game and have created an account on the game, use the set email address to create another account in the WOW game. In this case, you can merge the account with another existing login and can resolve the incompatibility issues.
1H. Play WOW game on another PC
Try playing the WOW game on another PC, preferably of another specification, to find out if the error message occurs on the other PC. If it does not get displayed on the other PC, the issue might be with your PC.
Method 2: Rename Executable File
The first method to fix the error message is to rename the executable file of the WOW game. This can be extremely useful if you are using a Mac OS laptop, as it resets the configuration and coding of the game to a fresh state.
1. Open File Explorer hitting the Windows + E keys together and navigate to the World of Warcraft folder.
2. Right-click on the executable file and click on the Rename option in the list.
3. Type the file name as WoW.exe and press the Enter key to rename the file.
Also Read: Fix WOW51900314 Error in Windows 10
Method 3: Extend Number of Allowed Patches
If the number of patches that can be applied to the WOW game is limited, you may face the unable to validate game version World of Warcraft error. In this case, you can try extending the limit to applying the patch and then try applying the patch to the game.
1. Go to the ascent folder using Windows Explorer.
Note: This folder corresponds to the particular private server to which you have connected your game.
2. Right-click on the logonserver.conf file, click on the Open with option, and click on the Notepad option on the adjacent menu.
3. Change the data maxbuild to 9999 and press the Ctrl + S keys to save the file.
Method 4: Repair WOW Game
The next option to fix the unable to validate game version WOW error message is to repair the WOW game using the setup file. This would help in resetting the error and glitches in the game that might have caused the unable to validate game version World of Warcraft error.
1. Launch the File Explorer and navigate to the setup file or WoW.exe.
2. Right-click on the setup file and click on the Run as administrator option in the list.
3. Click on the Yes button on the User Account Prompt (UAC) window to allow the software.
4. At the window’s top corner, switch to the Games option.
5. Select the World of Warcraft game in the list.
6. Click on Options and then click on the Scan & Repair option.
7. Click on the Begin Scan button on the window.
8. Wait for the process to complete and then Restart the WOW game.
Also Read: Fix WoW 64 EXE Application Error
Method 5: Restore to Previous Version
If the WOW game is upgraded or updated to another version, you can try restoring the game to the unconsolidated previous version. This requires you to re-patch the game, making the setup file void of can’t validate game version WOW error.
This method is also effective in fixing the incompatibility of the server with the patch version of the game and fixing the unable to validate game version World of Warcraft error, as the patch is reapplied to the game.
1. Go to the World of Warcraft folder.
Note: The World of Warcraft folder will be usually located in the location path as follows.
C:\Program Files (x86)\World of Warcraft
2. Open the Data folder.
3. Right-click on the Patch.MPQ file and click on the Delete option.
Note: If you find any other file with the mpq file extension, such as wow-0-16826-Win-final.mpq, delete the file by following the instruction given above.
4. Run the repair.exe utility file in the folder.
5. Click on the Reset and Check Files button.
6. Wait for the process to complete and then reapply the patch file to the game.
Method 6: Update WOW Game
If the WOW game is outdated or if the patch is not updated on the game version, you can try following the steps given here to update the game.
1. Go to the World of Warcraft folder using Windows Explorer as explained earlier Method 4.
2. Double-click on the Launcher.exe file to run the update file.
3. Click on the Play button and then log in to your account using your account credentials.
Also Read: Fix Blizzard Another Installation in Progress in Windows 10
Method 7: Reinstall WOW Game
As a final resort to fix the error message unable to validate game version WOW, you can try reinstalling the WOW game on your PC. If the issue is not cleared by any means, it might be due to a glitch in the game. Reinstalling the game from a fresh start can help resolve all the issues.
Step I: Uninstall WOW Game
The first step to fix can’t validate game version WOW error message unable to validate game version World of Warcraft using this method is to uninstall the WOW Game installed on your PC. You can follow the instructions in the link given here to learn the method to uninstall the game from your PC.
Step II: Remove WOW game Directories
As the next step, remove the directories of the WOW game on your PC.
1. Navigate to the WOW folder using Windows Explorer by following the instruction given earlier.
2. Right-click on the WOW folder and click on the Delete option.
3. Click on the Yes button if the UAC prompt window is displayed.
Step III: Reinstall WOW Game
The next step to fix can’t validate game version WOW error is to reinstall the WOW game using your default web browser. This would clear the corrupt data entries of the executable file of the WOW game.
1. Hit the Windows key, type Google Chrome and click on Open.
2. Open the official website of Blizzard and click on the World of Warcraft game in the GAMES BLIZZARD section.
3. Click on the Download for Windows button.
4. Open Windows Explorer by pressing the Windows+ E keys at once and navigate to the Downloads folder using the location path.
5. Double-click on the setup file to run it and follow the on-screen instructions to reinstall the game.
Also Read: Fix WOW High Latency But Internet is Fine in Windows 10
Method 8: Contact Blizzard Support Team
If none of the methods was effective in fixing the error message, you can try contacting the Blizzard support team. If the error occurs due to some unidentified bugs or glitches, the team can be made aware of the issue immediately.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. What is WOW Game?
Ans. The World of Warcraft game, abbreviated as WOW, is an online game, which was released by Blizzard Entertainment in 2004. It is a multiplayer online role-playing video game that has gained popularity and also achieved many awards. The game comes in a combined subscription offer, in which the player can play the game for free up to Level 20 and a non-recurring game time subscription is required to play any character above Level 20.
Q2. What are the probable causes of the Unable to Validate Game Version Error in WOW game?
Ans. Usually, the error occurs if the executable game file or the setup file of the WOW game is corrupt or has some misleading data entries. This might also occur if some programs are interfering with the game.
Recommended:
The methods to fix the error message stating unable to validate game version World of Warcraft are given in the article. Please spare a few minutes to let us know of your valuable suggestions and queries in the comments section. Additionally, use the field to share the best option that helped in clearing this error message in the WOW game.
