WeakAuras Companion - NoM0Re/WeakAuras-WotLK GitHub Wiki

WeakAuras Companion is an application that connects Wago.io with your World of Warcraft addon, allowing you to update your auras automatically.

Important: Backup Your WTF Folder

The WTF folder contains your WoW configuration files, including the crucial config.wtf file that stores all your game settings. Before making any changes, always back up this folder to avoid losing your settings. This is especially important because there is a known issue where launching World of Warcraft after using the Companion can sometimes overwrite or corrupt config.wtf. Having a backup allows you to restore your original settings if that happens.

The Workaround

WeakAuras Companion is designed for modern Blizzard Retail installations, which always have a World of Warcraft folder containing _retail_ and Data. Since WotLK 3.3.5a does not follow this structure, the Companion cannot find what it expects.

  • The Data folder is mandatory: the Companion checks if it exists and if there is at least one file inside. Even a single empty file (like file.txt) is enough.
  • The _retail_ folder must point to your real WoW installation (either directly or via a symlink), so the Companion can access AddOns and SavedVariables.

There are 2 Methods to do it:

Method 1: Create the Required Folders (Direct Copy)

Use this if you don’t mind copying or moving your WoW installation.

  1. Create a main folder named World of Warcraft.
  2. Inside it, create two subfolders: _retail_ and Data.
  3. Inside the Data folder, create at least one file (for example, file.txt). It can be empty.
  4. Copy your WoW 3.3.5a installation into the _retail_ folder.

Your folder layout should look like this:

World of Warcraft/
β”œβ”€β”€ _retail_/Wow.exe
└── Data/file.txt
  • _retail_ contains your WoW game installation.
  • Data must exist and contain at least one file.

Method 2 (Recommended): Use a Symlink

This is the safer method because you don’t need to move or rename your actual WoW installation. Instead, you create a symbolic link called _retail_ that points to your existing WoW folder.

On Windows (Command Prompt)

  1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator.
  2. Go to the drive where you want to set up the folders:
cd C:\
  1. Create the folders and add a test file:
mkdir "World of Warcraft\Data"
echo This is a test file. > "World of Warcraft\Data\file.txt"
  1. Create the symlink inside World of Warcraft pointing to your real WoW folder (replace the paths with yours):
mklink /D "C:\World of Warcraft\_retail_" "C:\world of warcraft 3.3.5a"

Format:

mklink /D "to_path" "from_path"
  • "to_path" = where the symlink is created (World of Warcraft\_retail_)
  • "from_path" = your actual WoW folder (world of warcraft 3.3.5a)

On macOS / Linux (Terminal)

  1. Open Terminal.
  2. Go to the location where you want the World of Warcraft folder:
cd ~/
  1. Create the folders and add a test file:
mkdir -p "World of Warcraft/Data"
echo "This is a test file." > "World of Warcraft/Data/file.txt"
  1. Create the symlink pointing _retail_ to your real WoW folder:
ln -s "/path/to/your/world of warcraft 3.3.5a" "World of Warcraft/_retail_"

Format:

ln -s "from_path" "to_path"
  • "from_path" = your actual WoW folder
  • "to_path" = where the symlink will be created (World of Warcraft/_retail_)