Guide to Download and Install LotRO (updated 21-05-09)

[Gamefox]

UPDATED 21-05-09!

This guide is mainly written for new players who want to play the trial.
If you are a returning player there are some steps (account creation) you can ignore.
Please not that the download links are for the EU version of the game!

First things to do
- Download the MoM Book 7 Client (9.59 GB)
(Optionally, you can download the client as a torrent, hosted by me.
The torrent hosted by Codemasters is only a low-resolution client.)

After downloading
- Install the MoM Book 7 Client
- Start the launcher and let it update with the latest patches & hotfixes
- Create an account (a trial-key will be automatically fetched and added to your account)
- Enjoy your 14 day-trial!

Like the game? Upgrade!
- Order/buy the full game (you can also upgrade digitally)
- Go to your COG PAS (Codemasters Online Gaming Player Account System) and click "Upgrade"
- Select "Enter Activation Key" or "Upgrade Digitally"
- Fill in the keys you've acquired in your retail box or select the game you want (basic or full)
- Click "OK"
- The trial-limitations are removed and you are free to further develop your characters!
(Problems regarding account status? Please take a look at this reply from Beldin.)

NOTE:
To download/install, there are a couple of requirements to let it go smooth:
- You'll need Firefox (Browser) or a download manager as Windows Explorer can't handle files over 2GB.
- You'll need WinRAR (shareware*) or it's free alternative 7Zip to prevent getting a "file corrupted"-error.
- If you have Kaspersky or AntiVir Virusscan you'll need to turn those off while installing, conflicts with these programs have been reported multiple times.

If you have any questions or problems with downloading/installing the game or registering/upgrading an account, please reply to this thread.

* Shareware is software that is free to use, however it will remind you of purchasing a license every time you use the program.

[Tooplex]

Awesome guide. This should be stickeyed!

[Proper Bo]

This guide is excellent. Thank you very much.

[Gamefox]

Thanks for the compliments guys, glad I can help.

For the ones who voted "This guide should be clearer.", please specify that in a reply and I'll edit the main post.

[Laucian Nailor]

Good guide and voted as nice and clear.

One suggestion for a change I would make would be to not create an account until the game has successfully downloaded, unzipped, installed and updated.

This way if there is a problem, the 14 day trial is not ticking away whilst the problem is being resolved. Will save a bit of frustration and make sure that full use is made of the 14 days

[Gamefox]

Originally Posted by Laucian Nailor

One suggestion for a change I would make would be to not create an account until the game has successfully downloaded, unzipped, installed and updated.

This way if there is a problem, the 14 day trial is not ticking away whilst the problem is being resolved. Will save a bit of frustration and make sure that full use is made of the 14 days

I agree, will put a note in the OP (original post).

[Valandir]

Originally Posted by Gamefox

The best way to start your trial is to:
- Download the big SoA Book 14 Client (7.7 GB)
- Download the 1st MoM Patch (2.87 GB)

Alternatively, if you don't want to (or cannot for whatever reasons) download 7.7 GB in ONE SINGLE FILE you can try the torrent (which already includes high-res-textures) and continue with...

Originally Posted by Gamefox

- Download the 2nd MoM Patch (465.63 MB)

anyways, nice Guide




edit: and yes, actually it is done via "The Pirate Bay". So what? There are murderers walking on our Streets. Don't you use streets anymore?

[Hothorix]

This is a great guide for newbies.
Use it!

[^Beldin]

Do NOT add the torrent link advertised by Valandir into your instructions. That's a popular tracker, I agree with that. It may also have a lot of seeds for that client. But also, it should not be advertised due to very obvious reasons; most stuff it contains is illegally shared. We should NOT encourage people to go on to such sites.

Instead, add the sticky topic's first post link to your original post;

[Updated 03/12/09 - List of client and standalone patch download locations

There's torrent links heading to Codemasters' own tracker instead of 3rd party pirate site. MoM patches can be already downloaded by those torrents with very fast speeds, and at another thread we're working on getting the Book14 trial client properly seeded as well.

[Gamefox]

I am not considering adding information about Torrents in this guide...yet
This as it might confuse newbies because they don't know how torrents work.
And indeed, because that link is illegal.

I'm busy running my own server with high upload capacity for my friends who want to try lotro though, as they are experienced computer users.
If this works good and a number of seeders are there (the number keeps growing ), I will edit the guide with the option to use torrents, complete with instructions on how to do so.

Also, some people have voted the instructions can be clearer.
Here, again, the question if you can reply to this thread with what should be improved.